


I Want You To Be My Night

by TheOrgasmicSeke



Series: Once Upon A Time [3]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Hoseok doesn't actually have a speaking part, Jigyu is shown often, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Jimin/Taehyung, Minor Namjoon/Seokjin, Red Riding Hood Elements, Soonyoung is mentioned in passing as well, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, but he's mentioned, mention of murder, pinch of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 18:48:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6531778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOrgasmicSeke/pseuds/TheOrgasmicSeke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Big Bad Wolf may be big, but he's really not all that bad. He's more like an over sized puppy who just wants to be loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Want You To Be My Night

**Author's Note:**

> A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into this story. And I am happy. And I am proud. 
> 
> Title from [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9J8HuXQA4w&ab_channel=cocoalakin) song. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The night air was chilly for the end of fall but Yoongi was dressed appropriately for the occasion. A black over-sized hoodie, an equally black beanie smashing strands of blond against his pale face. With his shoulders hunched and his feet keeping an even pace, he was protected from the occasional sharp bitter wind that tried to seep into his bones. He slightly regretted not bringing a better coat with him to the studio but he didn't expect the night to turn so cold after a bright sunny day. He would deal. He didn't have much of a choice. He could take a bus instead of his usual walking route home but he was feeling anxious and had to work it off somehow.

The walk from his permanently reserved studio on campus to his apartment was a typical hour or so walk depending on the weather and what mood Yoongi was in. Tonight, considering the chill in the air and how his fingertips felt like they were constantly tingling after spending a total of seven hours in front of a bright computer screen, Yoongi was anxious to get home. His heavy boots made soft clacks against the pavement and though he wasn't the only person on the street so late at night, way past midnight, he felt like he was in his own little world.

White buds were stuffed in his ears, cutting out any sounds of traffic or random drunk shouting coming from god knows where with heavy beats. The music made him feel less anxious, easing the tension built up in his shoulders from being hunched over most of the day. He couldn't bare to listen to anything he was working on; the beats he spent too many hours trying to blend together making his mind spin until everything blurred together into one clusterfuck of a mess. So he opted for some relatively popular American hip-hop that Namjoon recommended and he found it wasn't all that bad. If he had the ability to focus properly, he might actually feel inspired from the heavy beats and slick words. But he was too fucking tired to care at the moment.

Yoongi cut through the large park settled between the college campus and his apartment complex. Half was a forest settled in the middle of the city while the other half was playground equipment, sports fields and running paths. He found out a few months ago that cutting through the park, instead of walking around it, took about forty minutes off his walk home and depending on his mood, he liked the shortcut. Plus, the scenery was nice.

As soon as he passed through the gates, he glanced up, giving the park a good once over to see it empty so late at night. Good. He might pass a jogger or two, as he usually did, but chances were, Yoongi would be alone on his walk home and he wouldn't want it any other way. He tucked his hands into the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie, slumped his shoulders and set an easy pace as he followed the winding, twisting, concert path that led to the other side of the park and near his apartment complex. The path cut through the small forest, that was really just a bunch of trees scattered together and if he cared, which he didn't, Yoongi would maybe worry about the fact that it wasn't that odd for random dead bodies to be found somewhere in the trees.

Along the winding path were benches, with names written on them of the people who donated the money for them to be there. Whether someone needed a break from their walk, or jog, the benches were scattered about in a neat pattern for whatever use someone may have for them. Yoongi found, after months of cutting through the park, that late at night, some people liked to use the benches as a place to sleep.

People don't really think about those who don't have a home to go back to. Yoongi never did until he kept seeing _him_. Yoongi didn't know his name. He didn't really know much about the kid at all. Considering how often he saw the boy in the park, curled up on a bench to find some sleep, he wasn't sure the kid had a home to go back to. Sometimes he was there, sometimes he wasn't. But more often than not, Yoongi would find him trying to sleep on the same bench.

Tonight was no different.

The kid's bench was a halfway mark on Yoongi's trek through the park; Settled across from the forest, just before the path curved into the trees. Behind the bench was a playground that looked rather eerie in the moonlight, empty with the swings occasionally moving in the slight wind. But the bench never failed to catch Yoongi's attention no matter how lost in his thoughts because it was habit to search for the kid.

A lump was curled up on that bench and something thumped in Yoongi's chest when he noticed it. He let out a soft sigh, rubbing a fist against his nose as he picked up his pace just a bit more to near the bench quicker. Sure enough, it was the boy.

He couldn't be more than eighteen, with his round pale face, large brown eyes that Yoongi only saw a few times, plump lips and round nose. He was taller than Yoongi, larger in general, but that wasn't much of an accomplishment considering the twenty-three year old was mostly bones. They never directly interacted. Not really. The kid was usually trying to sleep when Yoongi passed by but that didn't mean Yoongi ignored his existence.

Yoongi knew what it was like to have no where to go. He knew what it felt like to find someplace to sleep in a city that forgot about you. A city that didn't care. His friends teased that he was cold but Yoongi was not heartless.

He paused a few feet from the boy, eyeing how those long legs had to curl up close to his stomach to keep him on the bench. The kid had a heavy coat on, green and thick to protect him against the winter that was coming and a little bit of warmth curled in Yoongi's chest because _he_ was the one who left that old coat on the kid a few weeks ago. It was nice to know it was getting some use.

Without thinking too much about it, Yoongi tugged his messenger bag around to his front so he could dig through it, grabbing the boxed lunch lovingly made by his friend that he didn't actually manage to eat. He had food at home he could eat but this kid... Yoongi was careful as he tucked the box near the kid's head but maybe he made too much noise because the next thing he knew, large brown eyes snapped open to meet his.

They didn't say a word; Yoongi's heart thudding slightly at being caught while the boy just stared at him, eyes almost black in the dark night. Carefully, pale fingers slipped away, leaving the box on the sliver of bench by the boy's head and he took a few steps backwards while the kid watched him like a hawk. And then, they both seemed to relax at the same time. The boy blinked hazily a few times and then tilted his head back eyeing the box Yoongi left, knocking it just enough to fall to the ground.

Those dark eyes were on him once again, a hint of confusion coming to that cute face and Yoongi just shrugged. He didn't know what to do, or what to say, so he nodded his head at the kid and turned on the balls of his feet to continue on his walk home. The boy didn't say anything, didn't call after him, but before Yoongi disappeared into the trees, he glanced over his shoulder to see the boy sitting up, the box in his shaking hands as he eyed the food within.

He glanced up after Yoongi, his eyes so wide it was almost comical and it made Yoongi pause in his step, offering the kid a curl of one corner of his mouth. The smile that spread across those plump lips, pulling over teeth that were a little too large for his mouth and crinkling his nose made something warm curl in the pit of Yoongi's stomach. He knew what it felt like to be alone. He knew what it was like to feel like no one cared. He hoped his little act of kindness was enough to keep some random kid going and by that smile, it seemed his act of kindness was well met.

Heat swirling in his stomach, and a hint of a smile on his lips, Yoongi slipped off into the woods, flicking to a new song with a swipe of his thumb in his pocket, hand wrapped around his phone until an upbeat melody was flowing into his ears and the anxiety he was previously feeling melted away.

* * *

The colored lines on his screen were starting to blur together and if Yoongi were honest with himself, the three hours of sleep he was running on wasn't going to be enough for him to finish this project. He still had an exam to study for, dinner to eat and it was almost ten o'clock at night. After a moment of staring, Yoongi leaned back from the screen and rubbed his hands over his face, digging into his eyes to try and rub away the stinging sensation he was starting to feel. No amount of coffee was going to keep his mind focused enough to finish the same damn track he had been working on for over a month. Layering Jimin's and Taehyung's voices had been an improvement but he was still missing something and he was losing his fucking mind over it.

"Hyung." Jimin's voice was light as he tapped a finger against Yoongi's shoulder, trying to catch the blond's attention.

Yoongi groaned and tugged the headphones from his head, placing them gently on the corner of his desk as he glanced at Jimin, meeting the brunet's slightly concerned gaze. "I thought you left." Yoongi said through a yawn that he covered his mouth.

Jimin smiled softly, that light smile that made the corners of his eyes curl just slightly. It was a hint of a brighter sunshine smile and it was something special reserved for when Jimin was concerned or worried. He used it a lot with Yoongi and the elder was starting to wonder when the fuck that happened. "You said I could walk you home, remember?"

Yoongi squinted, searching his brain for such a conversation and coming up blank. He tugged off the snapback on his head and fanned it against his face as he ran his other hand through his hair. "I'm not going anywhere any time soon, Jimin. Just go home."

The brunet bit into his lower lip, chewing on it in that nervous way he had as he glanced around the small studio. "It's late though, hyung."

Yoongi snorted softly, shrugging one shoulder as he dropped his hat into his lap and smacked his cheeks a few times to try and wake up more. "Ten isn't really that late for me. Go home, Jimin. Don't you have an evaluation tomorrow?" He glanced around the studio, noticing Jimin's bag resting on the small couch behind his desk but Taehyung was no where to be seen. Yoongi assumed the boy left at some point but after another quick glance he saw that familiar button covered backpack sitting on the floor by the couch. "Where's Taehyung?"

"He went to get you food." Jimin sighed softly, dropping to squat beside Yoongi's chair, folding his arms on the desk to rest his head on as he peered up at the elder. "We figured you haven't eaten."

Yoongi hummed, trying to remember the last time he ate and that was breakfast. His stomach was feeling a little rumbly and food might help his concentration a bit more. "Thanks." He reached over, slipping his fingers into soft strands of brown and ruffled them until Jimin was smiling fondly, his cheeks bunching up and his eyes turning to crescents. "Seriously though, you two should go home."

"After you eat." Jimin stated firmly, that smile still on his lips but his tone held no room for argument.

Yoongi was lucky to have friends who cared about his well-being so much. And he knew that. So when they stuck around, made sure he ate and slept, he didn't complain. He might grumble about it considering he was a grown adult and thought he could take care of himself but he never pushed their efforts away.

"And then you're going home."

Yoongi narrowed his eyes and settled Jimin with a glare that didn't effect the younger in the least. If anything, the brunet just smiled wider, showing off his teeth as Yoongi's hand dropped from his head. "I have to finish this track, Jimin."

The youth rolled his eyes. "You have two months before your assessment."

"And it's going to take that long to get this how I want it."

The sigh Jimin let out was long and heavy and made Yoongi's skin prickle just slightly. "I thought you were working with Jihoon for that anyway."

"That's for his. This is for me." Yoongi turned away from the brunet and moved his hands over the keyboard to save his progress.

"He's not helping you?"

Yoongi stuck his tongue to the corner of his lips as he fumbled with a few of the settings in the program he was working on. "At this rate, he just might. I need fresh ears. Something's wrong but I can't figure out _what_."

Jimin hummed in understanding, shifting his eyes away from Yoongi's face to peer at the screen. "That's a sure sign of needing a break, hyung."

Yoongi grumbled under his breath as he leaned back in his comfortable chair, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes. "Don't give me that smug look."

Jimin laughed softly and gave Yoongi's knee a pat under the table before he moved to his feet, stretching his arms above his head. "Let me and Tae walk you home, okay?"

"What's with you wanting to talk me home, yah? You never do." Yoongi mumbled, rubbing his eyes before dropping his hands into his lap, relaxing in his chair as he took some deep breaths to hopefully clear his fogged brain.

Jimin shifted from foot to foot awkwardly for a moment before he shrugged. "No reason."

"Park Jimin, don't play me for a fucking fool." Yoongi cut his eyes to the brunet who flinched slightly under his gaze, a flush of heat coming to those chubby cheeks as Jimin glanced away, rubbing the back of his neck.

But before Jimin had the chance to answer, the studio door popped open and Taehyung stumbled in, arms full of plastic bags, his sandy blond hair all over the place and a grin on his lips. "Food delivery!"

The studio then filled with chatter and the rustling of plastic as the three of them settled down to eat a late dinner. Taehyung went all out, getting the best fried chicken around and Yoongi was vaguely wondering if he was really starting to worry if his friends since they were going so out of the way for him. He didn't like that. He didn't like making them worry. He didn't do it on purpose but oh man was the chicken totally worth it.

"Did you convince hyung to let us walk him home?" Taehyung brought the subject back up ten or so minutes after they settled down to eat.

"I can walk myself home just fine." Yoongi grumbled, taking a bite from his fried chicken leg a little more roughly than necessary. "I do it every night."

"Yeah, but we're worried about you, hyung." Taehyung whined faintly but then let out a little squeak at the way Jimin elbowed him in the ribs, giving the man a soft glare.

Yoongi glanced between the two of them, chewing slowly on his bite of chicken. "I have an exam to study for anyway so if you're worried about me staying too late, that's not gonna happen. I'll leave when you leave, fair enough yeah?"

Jimin and Taehyung glanced at each other before Jimin spoke up. "We still want to walk you home, hyung."

The blond narrowed his eyes, glancing between them and noticed how they kept looking at each other like there was some silent conversation going on that he wasn't a part of. "Okay." He sighed, dropping his chicken leg into his little box and grabbed a napkin to clean his fingers off with. "What the hell is going on?"

"You don't know?" Taehyung asked, clearly confused while Jimin rolled his eyes at the other.

"Don't know what?" Yoongi leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest as he leveled the two of them with a stare.

"They found another body."

Yoongi blinked at the other blond whose head was tilted to the side like a puppy. "So?"

Jimin sighed. "In the park you always go through to get home, hyung. So we're worried about your safety." The boy was practically whining and when he gave Yoongi _the look_ , wide eyes and pouted lips, the elder wanted to smack him. "You also walk home in the middle of the night and who knows what creepy scary shit is out there waiting to murder you."

"I think it's a bear." Taehyung perked up, stuffing a rice cake into his mouth, bulging his cheeks so he looked absolutely ridiculous.

Jimin sighed. "There aren't bears in Seoul, Tae."

"How do you explain the claw marks then, hm? Too large to be a dog." Taehyung spoke as if he knew exactly what he was talking about and it didn't surprise Yoongi in the least. The boy always had a fascination with the weird and unknown. "My money is on a bear."

"Okay first of all," Yoongi cut in, gaining their attention like they forget he was there, "Jimin's right Tae, there aren't bears in Seoul. Secondly, I've been walking through that park every night for the past four months and the only wild life I've seen was a bunny and a bunch of fucking birds. If there's some crazy psycho out there killing people, I imagine the police are on that."

Jimin whined, bouncing in his seat slightly and Yoongi hated himself for being so fucking weak to those pouty lips. "Hyung," _oh fuck here it comes_ , "this is the fourth one in two months, it's really dangerous." He reached across the space between them, cluttered with their food and bags on the floor and managed to get a good grip on Yoongi's knee. "Please let us walk you home. Or take a different route."

Yoongi sighed, eyeing the way Jimin's tanned fingers curled around his knee before he dropped his head back, rubbing the heel of his palm against temple. "Will you leave me alone if I promise to take a different route?"

Jimin perked up at his words like a puppy, his eyes twinkling just a little bit. "Yes."

"Fine." Yoongi begrudgingly agreed, pushing Jimin's hand off his knee so he could go back to eating his food. "I like my peaceful walks home and you two idiots would just ruin that."

"You promise, hyung?"

"I promise."

Jimin clapped his hands once and it seemed everything had been settled.

* * *

Yoongi never said anything about what would be different about his route so technically he didn't break any promises. Jimin and Taehyung loved to play tricks but they weren't the type to make stuff up about such a serious matter. After a little digging, Yoongi found they weren't making it up about another body being found. And okay, as strange as that was, Yoongi still wasn't too concerned about himself. If anything, he was a little more concerned about a certain kid who liked to sleep on the park benches in the middle of the night.

Yoongi bid Jimin and Taehyung a good night and parted ways into the cold night air just before midnight. It was early for him really, even though Jimin kept whining about how Yoongi needed to get more sleep or he would start to look even more like a pale ghost child from one of those horror movies. He couldn't help it that his skin was pale, or his face was round. The circles around his eyes were just a permanent feature of his face these days and it wasn't like he was actually all that concerned with how he looked.

Wrapped up in his white hoodie, black leather jacket to withstand the bitter wind and backwards snapback, Yoongi went left instead of right when he exited campus. He made a roundabout trip that stuffed ten more minutes to his normal route but it was part of keeping his promise to Jimin without actually keeping it. He knew it was low and if Jimin ever found out about it, he'd have a lot of pouty lips and whined "hyung"'s to deal with. But Yoongi had to check. He had to make sure the boy was alright. And maybe take the time to warn him about what the hell was going on late at night in the very same park he found a place to sleep in.

The sky was clouded, the moon hidden and if it weren't for the street lights, it would be pitch black outside. Yoongi had a feeling that when he made his way through the trees he might need to use his phone as a flashlight. But he shrugged that thought off for later as he slipped through the gates of the park, glancing around to find the place empty as far as he could see.

Music thumped through the buds in his ears as he made his way down the winding path, keeping his eyes on the concrete beneath his boots. The air was cold against his bare cheeks, making them flush and as he inhaled, the scent of pine and earth filled his senses. It was a pleasant kind of smell. One that was rare in such a large city but it made him feel a little more at home. He picked a complex close to the wooded park for a reason after all.

Yoongi wouldn't admit he was slightly disappointed to find the bench empty; the bunny-nosed kid no where in sight. For a split second, he had a panic that maybe the kid was who they found that morning but then he remembered the new article he read specifically stated it was a female, even if a name was left out. So, that spike of panic settled and he let out a puff of air, staring at the empty bench for a moment longer than necessary before continuing down the path.

Just as he was about the cross the threshold into the darkened forest, fingering the phone in his pocket to bring it out to use its flash light function, his eyes caught a flash of white out of the corner of his eye and he completely froze, his feet sticking to the ground at his heart leaped into his throat. Maybe Jimin was right. Perhaps this was a bad idea.

What Yoongi didn't expect, and _holy hell_ was he surprised, was for someone to casually step out from the line of trees, a phone stuck to their ear as they stopped a few feet in front of him, oblivious of Yoongi's presence. His thumb swiped across his phone screen until the music in his ears stopped and he picked up the hushed voice of the stranger shadowed in the trees.

Wait a minute...

Yoongi tugged one bud from his ear and took a step forward, his eyes narrowed as he took in the stranger bundled up in a white hoodie. "Jihoon?"

The boy jumped in surprise, nearly dropping his phone in the process but managed to catch the device with his long fingers before it crashed to the ground. Sure enough, as the boy turned, light from a street lamp near by illuminating his face, Yoongi was right. Lee fucking Jihoon, swallowed up by a pure white hoodie, an equally white snap back on his head and the kid practically glowed in the dim light. Yoongi would know that round face, short stature, and pink hair anywhere.

"H-Hyung?" His voice stuttered for a second before a look of realization crossed his face. His eyes widened before they relaxed and he quickly stuffed his phone away into his pocket before turning to approach the elder. "What are you doing here?"

Yoongi eyed the youth, taking in the stress around the corners of his eyes but otherwise, he looked fine. "I take this route home every night. What are _you_ doing out here?" As far as Yoongi knew, Jihoon lived in the dorms on campus since he was a first year. An exceptionally talented first year, but a first year nonetheless.

Jihoon shrugged, stuffing both hands into the pocket of his hoodie as he glanced around them. "You, uh, haven't seen Mingyu have you?"

Yoongi blinked. "You lose your boyfriend?"

Jihoon sighed, rolling his eyes as he moved to adjust the snapback on his head, fluffing out his pink hair for a second before smashing it back down with the hat. "Something like that. He's not answering his phone."

"Need help looking for him?"

The youth sighed, shaking his head. "He's probably lost somewhere and forgot to charge his phone last night."

From the stories Yoongi heard from Jihoon, it wasn't all that uncommon for the youth's obnoxiously tall and handsome boyfriend to disappear sometimes. "What are you doing looking for him in the woods though?"

Jihoon shrugged again, his eyes narrowing only slightly but when he met Yoongi's eyes, his lips curled up into a soft smile, showing off those little dimples in the inner curves of his cheeks. "He has this habit of strolling through it."

Yoongi hummed. "It's pretty dangerous though. You've heard about people being found right?"

Jihoon tensed for a split second and if Yoongi had not been watching him so closely, he would have missed it. The way Jihoon's shoulders went up just slightly, the way his weight shifted to his other foot, the way his smile suddenly seemed forced. It was... interesting to say the least. "Yeah. Which is why I came looking for the idiot."

Yoongi knew that sharp tone. Jihoon was a nice kid. Usually upbeat though a little quiet. But if he was upset, if someone got on his wrong side, they were in for a whole hell of shit. Yoongi had seen it first hand when some upper class-man thought it would be smart to make fun of the kid's height. Yoongi learned pretty damn fast not to get on Lee Jihoon's bad side. He was not one to be fucked with. Which was perhaps why Yoongi took him under his wing, so to speak. They were a lot alike.

Yoongi opened his mouth the respond but some annoying pop song Yoongi heard on the radio anytime Jimin or Taehyung had control over it blasted out and caused both of them to jump in surprise. Jihoon grumbled as he dug his phone out of his pocket and pressed it to his ear, turning away from Yoongi politely to answer his call.

"Where the hell are you?" Jihoon practically hissed into the phone, his brow furrowed slightly, a sure sign of worry and concern for his boyfriend. Whatever Mingyu's response, Jihoon didn't seem to like it, for the furrow in his brow deepened and his teeth sunk into his bottom lip. "Yeah, fine, okay. I'll be there in a few minutes. Just _don't_ move." He hung up without another word, letting out a sigh that sounded like relief.

When Jihoon turned back to Yoongi, every ounce of _whateverthefuckthatwas_ melted away, replaced with a warm smile as the youth bowed his head slightly. "He forgot his phone. I'll see you Thursday, thanks hyung."

Yoongi stared at the youth a little bewildered but nodded anyway. "Yeah, Thursday. Be safe."

Jihoon nodded, shifting to move past him and gave him a little wave. "Bye, hyung." And then he was gone, taking of running down the path Yoongi came from, his short but thick legs taking him out of the park quickly.

Yoongi jotted that entire experience up as one of those strange things that happened in college before he stuffed the bud back into his ear, switched his music on and took off toward home, day dreaming about how great a hot shower was going to feel once he got there.

* * *

Yoongi considered his life pretty damn busy. Between classes, spending a good chunk of his time in the studio, and making time for his friends so they didn't hate him, he didn't have much free time. The hour or so he took to walk home was the only amount of free time he considered himself to have and even that was spent walking so there wasn't much else he could do.

Making music wasn't just his passion, it was his life. There was nothing else he wanted to do. He had dreams of one day making a million dollar song for a million dollar group and like hell he wasn't going to make that dream come true. He could have been an idol, could have worked his ass off as a trainee to get the slim chance of debut without much of a say in the music he was doing. He had that opportunity and turned it down. It wasn't that he had anything against the idol life, it was alright he supposed. But he wanted to make his own music, his own way, without anyone telling him how to do it. He was good, he knew that and getting an education in musical production was the first step in his long drawn out plan to do what he loved for a living.

He was lucky to have his family's support even if they weren't sure about his path in the beginning. He was lucky to have met amazing friends along the way who put up with him. Yoongi was lucky.

And yet, sometimes, he didn't entirely feel like it.

Coming home to an empty apartment wore on him after a while. It had been different in the beginning when Namjoon was living with him. He wasn't alone. But then Namjoon met Seokjin and well, it was only a matter of time before they moved in together and Yoongi was left living alone. Being alone was something he was used to. Back in Daegu, he spent almost his entire youth alone, separating himself from his own family because they didn't believe in his dreams at the time and like hell he was going to let that stop him.

Hell, Yoongi enjoyed being alone. He loved his friends but they were all kinds of loud and crazy so coming home to a quiet apartment wasn't always that bad. In fact, some days, after working his ass off or spending the night drinking with his friends, he loved coming home to the quiet atmosphere of his barely lived in apartment.

But some nights, not so much.

The apartment was cold and quiet and most of the time it was like a ghost was living in the quarters instead of an actual person. Yoongi spent more time in his studio than he did at home and even though he had the equipment at home to create music, the school's equipment was about ten times better and it was free for him to use whenever the hell he wanted to.

Tonight was no different.

After spending hours in the studio after his afternoon mandatory poetry class and taking his normal route home, dropping off the dinner he didn't bother to eat to the kid sleeping on the same bench, walking into his dark empty apartment felt a little somber. It was clean at least since he barely spent any real time inside of it. Tossing his coat on the back of the couch and leaving his bag on the floor, Yoongi shuffled into the kitchen to find something to eat.

The silence was deafening, making his ears ring so he paused in the living room to click on his stereo, a light beat starting to flow and making the place feel less empty. He found some left overs in the fridge from Seokjin that he warmed up before plopping onto the couch to eat in silence. He chewed slowly, not really tasting, just eating so he didn't feel like his stomach was trying to absorb him from the inside out as he glanced around the empty apartment. White walls, dark furniture, not one ounce of personalization in the main area of the apartment aside from the random snapback resting somewhere.

Yoongi swallowed the food in his mouth heavily and sunk into the black leather couch, hugging the bowl of food to his chest as he tucked his legs up on the cushions with him. Something heavy settle in his chest, something like loneliness but he ignored it. He wasn't alone. Not really. He had an assortment of friends that were decent people. It was just kind of strange to come home to an empty apartment sometimes. He knew if he asked, one of his friends would happily spend the night with him but he didn't want to put them out or anything.

It didn't help that every friend he knew was happily in a relationship of some sort and there Yoongi was, alone, obsessed with his music. It wasn't like he didn't try but his music came first and he had a lot of relationships where that turned out to be a problem. Maybe he'd ask Jihoon how he did it. The kid was just as obsessed with perfecting his music as Yoongi and yet he had a boyfriend of a few years that followed him to college.

And Jimin and Taehyung were just unfair with how obnoxious they were about their relationship. Especially when they were drinking. Yoongi wanted to bleach his eyes after the first time he saw the two pinned against the wall at a party. They were his friends and there were just certain things Yoongi never wanted to see his friends do.

And Namjoon and Seokjin were so _fucking_ domestic it was sickening. Fretting over one another any chance they had and okay Yoongi was happy for his friends, happy for Namjoon who he'd known since he first came to Seoul but come on. Couples were really fucking obnoxious to see when he wasn't in a relationship himself. He loved his friends but he was slightly tired of seeing them be lovey dovey all the fucking time.

At least Hoseok was kind to him. The man never bragged about whatever girl he was currently dating and if Yoongi was lucky, when Hoseok was brave enough to introduce his currently girlfriend to him, they were never obnoxious about it. Maybe because Hoseok knew what it was like to stand on the outside and watch their friends be gross that he felt sympathy for Yoongi. Whatever it was, he was grateful to the man.

And then there was Jihoon and Mingyu.

Yoongi wanted to cringe at the thought of the two of them. The longest relationship Yoongi knew of in his little circle of friends and though they weren't all over each other like Jimin and Taehyung, or grossly domestic like Namjoon and Seokjin, they still had their moments where Yoongi wanted to throw up.

It probably didn't help that when Jihoon first came to Yoongi to convince the elder to help him on his first term track, because Yoongi was kind of famous for his work ethic and skill, Yoongi only agreed cause the kid was cute. He had a weakness for cute things and as soon as Jihoon was introduced to his stupid circle of friends they all made it bluntly obvious that Yoongi liked cute things.

But Jihoon was a lot of other things. Skilled, talented, driven and the more they worked together, the more Yoongi came to found the kid was like a little brother he never had. And Mingyu, the tall motherfucking asshole who was too handsome for his own good, was a nice quiet presence while they worked.

Yoongi loved his friends. He did.

But he was tired of being alone. He knew it was his own fault. Every relationship he'd ever been in ended due to his own faults. He was too obsessed with his music. Couldn't seem to make time for the relationship. And maybe that really was a sign of how not into the whole thing he was. He had no one to blame but himself and yet sometimes, when he was sitting alone in his quiet apartment, that sinking heavy feeling in his chest, Yoongi couldn't help but wish, just maybe, he wouldn't always be alone.

He knew it was a tall order though.

* * *

Finishing a track was one of the best feelings in the world. It was better than sex, better than his mom's kimchi; better than anything Yoongi had ever felt before in his life. Especially if the track was perhaps the best fucking thing he'd ever made in his entire life. And that was exactly how he felt about this track he'd spent the last month or so pouring his everything into.

Jihoon was a gift sent to him by the angels because the kid was able to pinpoint the extra three seconds of the song that felt off and then, Yoongi was able to fix them. A fresh set of ears never hurt and Yoongi's ego wasn't large enough to prevent him from asking for help. Not to mention Jihoon had the voice of an angel and having him harmonizing with Taehyung's deep soulful drawl and Jimin's smooth golden voice was like striking gold. He couldn't believe he never thought of it before.

"I was thinking, if your friends are okay with it, having them sing on my track too." Jihoon brought up softly, clicking away on his laptop as he spoke, his eyes never leaving the lyrics he was typing out on screen.

"I thought I was doing the thing." Mingyu spoke up from the small couch, his long limbs spread out over the entire length as he played some game on his tablet.

Yoongi saw the way Jihoon's nose scrunched up from the corner of his eye and he tried not to smile, biting into his lower lip as he focused on transferring his freshly finished track to multiple sources so he didn't lose the damn thing.

"You _are_ doing the thing. I want them to do the _other_ thing." Jihoon's voice was light as he rolled his shoulders, tilting his head from side to side to stretch out muscles that had to be getting a little stiff. Spending hours in the studio was never good for anyone.

"You want me to ask them?" Yoongi cut in.

"Be pretty cool if you did."

Tanned hands curled over Jihoon's shoulders as Mingyu leaned on the youth, peering over his head to see what he was busy typing. He caught Yoongi's attention for a moment, the way he curled over his boyfriend, that soft fond smile on his lips as his eyes shifted from the screen to the top of Jihoon's head. Jihoon couldn't see it but Yoongi sure as hell could and though maybe he was a little jealous he didn't have someone to look at him that way, it was kind of cute.

Mingyu was unfairly attractive. When Yoongi first met him, he thought Jihoon had been joking about the kid being his boyfriend since high school. Joking that Mingyu was _younger_ than him. But nope. Mingyu was a tall motherfucker with coy smiles, wondering hands, wide smiles and followed Jihoon around like a puppy. Where one was, the other was bound to be. They fit together like they always belonged and hell, as long as Yoongi didn't have to deal with it, he was happy for them. He considered them his friends after all.

"Jihoonie-hyung, almost done?" Mingyu's voice was a deep sound, something that sounded nice with a light beat and spitting well written lyrics thanks to his boyfriend. "It's getting late."

Jihoon's head snapped up so quickly, Yoongi thought the kid might headbutt Mingyu right in the nose with how the taller was leaning down but the silver haired male had quick reflexes and moved out of the way before the back of Jihoon's snapback covered head smacked him in the face. "Shit. Right. We're supposed to met Soonyoung."

Yoongi stretched his arms above his head as he leaned back in his chair, wincing at the few bones that cracked and muscles that rippled with the motion. "You should get going then."

Mingyu nodded in agreement as he pulled away from Jihoon to start packing up his things. Jihoon let out a heavy sigh and quickly finished whatever he had been writing before saving his document and snapping his laptop shut. Just as he was stuffing the device into his bag, he seemed to remember something and turned toward Yoongi who was already giving him his attention.

"I meant to ask, do you always cut through that park on your way home, hyung?" It seemed like an innocent question and it would have been one if not for the way Mingyu suddenly stood up straight, his back to them, his shoulders tense.

Yoongi eyed Mingyu's back for a moment before shifting his attention to Jihoon who had a smile curled to his lips like nothing weird was going on at all. Maybe Yoongi was reading too far into things. Ah, he really needed to get out more. With his track finished, he totally planned on calling it an early night and maybe calling up Namjoon for a drink or two. It wasn't even ten yet. He could use the social interaction outside of his stuffy studio.

"Yeah. It takes thirty minutes off my route home." He didn't fail to notice the way Jihoon's lips curled strangely. "If you're going to bring up the whole murder psycho thing, Jimin beat you to it."

"Psycho?" Mingyu questioned, turning around to face them with his dark eyes slightly wide.

Jihoon waved a hand at him, like he was brushing the matter away. "It's not that safe, hyung."

Yoongi rolled his eyes and moved to tug his USB free from the computer before saving everything and shutting it down. "So I've heard. Also you're not one to talk, you know. Wondering around in the woods alone in the middle of the night yourself."

Jihoon tensed for a second just as Mingyu turned to stare at his boyfriend with large eyes. Something passed between them, something that screamed they would talk about it later before Jihoon met Yoongi's curious gaze with a faint smile. "I'm not saying you can't handle yourself. Just be safe, hyung." Then he moved to his feet, pulling the strap of his bag over his chest to keep it secure.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Yoongi appreciated their concerns, he really did. And maybe if shit really hit the fan then he'd opt to go around the park instead of through it but for now, he liked his walk home. It was early anyway and he figured he didn't have anything to worry about tonight.

After packing up all their things and locking up the studio, they parted ways just outside the Music and Arts building. Yoongi took his time to wave them off, watching a bit fondly as Jihoon grabbed onto Mingyu's shoulders and without having to be asked, he dropped down so the pink haired boy could jump on his back. Once they disappeared around the corner, Yoongi took off in the opposite direction for his normal route home.

It was another chilly night at the tail end of fall, the air a little nippy but not enough to make his walk home uncomfortable. The jean jacket he wore over his black hoodie, which if he thought about it hard enough actually belonged to Namjoon at one point, kept him warm from whatever slight wind may come. His nose felt a little cold but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He definitely preferred the cold over the hot any day. He couldn't bare to go outside most days in the summer only because his insanely pale skin just might fucking burn off. He didn't mind the heat, it was the sun who was his enemy most days.

Yoongi loved fall or spring. The middle seasons were his favorite where the weather wasn't too intense. Spring with the growth of new things, the scent of flowers and grass in the air which was hard to come by in the middle of the city. But it was nice nonetheless when he could leave his hoodies and jackets at home and just walk to class in one of his favorite loose t-shirts. And fall, when everything turned a little colder, a little more crisp and he could drag out the soft hoodies he'd stored away for the summer and curl up in them. Plus, hats. He loved hats. And fall and winter were the only times he could really wear hats though he had an assortment of wide brimmed hats he liked to wear in the spring. If he dared to wear a hat in the summer, and he had to really otherwise his face would melt off from the sun, he'd sweat most of the day.

Yoongi's thoughts trailed to his plans to call Namjoon and see if the younger wanted to do something since he hadn't spent time with his old friend in a little while, too wrapped up in getting his track finished. As he slipped through the open gates of the park, Yoongi dug around in his pocket for his phone, glancing around for only a second before finding the device. Calling up Namjoon was easy, considering it was still early enough in the night for the man to be wide awake. They made plans to meet up at Yoongi's apartment and Namjoon promised to drag as many of their idiot friends along as he could. When they hung up, Yoongi had a soft smile on his face, looking forward to spending the night in the company of his friends instead of going home to an empty apartment.

Stuffing his phone away in his pocket, Yoongi finally glanced up to take in his surroundings. He hadn't noticed before, perhaps because he was too preoccupied talking to Namjoon, but there was someone sitting on _that_ bench and as he neared, he recognized those large brown eyes, fluffy black hair and warm coat. It was the kid, just sitting there with his hands folded in his lap as he slouched into the hard bench, his head tilted back just slightly with his gaze on the foggy night sky.

Yoongi had to walk past him and by doing so, he was bound to catch the kid's attention. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. For as long as Yoongi had seen the kid, they'd never truly interacted aside from that night a little while back. And Yoongi wouldn't even consider that interaction since they didn't say a damn thing to each other and the elder's heart was in his throat at the time.

But as his footsteps neared, his boots shuffling against the pavement, making soft sounds, the boy turned his head just slightly in Yoongi's direction, his eyes never leaving the sky but it was as if he was acknowledging the blond's presence. Yoongi's heart thumped in his chest once and he slowed to a stop beside the bench, glancing down at the boy who finally met his gaze. In the streetlamps, those eyes looked like the color of gold.

"Hey." Yoongi found himself mumbling, slightly surprised at himself for even speaking.

The kid tilted his head slightly, flicking his gaze over Yoongi's face before a hint of recognition crossed his handsome features. One corner of his lips turned upwards and he moved his feet, planting them flat on the ground so his legs weren't spread out over the pavement anymore.

"Hello." His voice was soft, but warm and a little deep.

Yoongi shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, hunching his shoulders slightly as he tore his gaze away, glancing around the park so he didn't have to see those large eyes staring at him. Why did he bother to greet the boy? Seriously, why couldn't he just keep walking and pretend he wasn't there?

"You're here early." His mouth seemed to work a little better than the rest of him.

The boy titled his head more before he shrugged and finally, _finally,_ that gaze shifted away from Yoongi's face. He didn't say any more and Yoongi didn't think there really was a need to. Then he remembered the box in his bag that he hadn't touched and shifted to grab it. When he held it out to the boy, those eyes were on him once again. He didn't look offended, or upset, just slightly confused.

"You don't have to." The boy spoke softly, eyeing the box before Yoongi put it in his lap.

"My friend always makes me box lunches because he thinks I don't eat enough." Yoongi explained just for something to say. He watched as the boy wrapped his fingers around the box like it was something precious and held it carefully in his lap. "And he always makes way too much for me to eat." Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket, Yoongi shifted to sit on the bench beside the boy, leaving enough space for another person between them. "Most of the time I forget them anyway and, not to be rude or anything, but I think you need it more than I do."

The boy glanced at him from the corner of his eye, his lips pursing slightly before he dropped his gaze to the little box.

"I don't know your story, kid. Not my business to know." Yoongi breathed out, leaning back into the bench until his shoulder blades were digging into the wood. "But I've been where you are. You don't want my help, fine. Just let me know."

The boy took a deep breath, one that made Yoongi glace at him as his chest expanded and he sat up a little straighter. Emotions that Yoongi didn't understand flickered across that face shadowed from the streetlamp above them and then the boy turned to face him, one corner of his mouth turned upwards into a smile, the silver hoops in his ears sparkling slightly. "I'm Jeon Jungkook."

Yoongi perked a brow at the way the boy bowed his head slightly and he wiggled to sit up straighter too, turning toward the kid whose name he never thought he'd actually know. "Min Yoongi."

That smile spread to the rest of his mouth, pulling over his teeth and bunching up his cheeks just enough to make the corners of his eyes crinkle. It was a cute smile, something Yoongi was down right weak to and he had to glance away to keep his heart from jumping into his throat.

That sat in silence for a minute more, Jungkook glancing from the box in his lap, to the curve of Yoongi's face and then to the sky once more. And Yoongi wasn't entirely sure what to do with himself. He didn't want to leave the kid but he had friends who were supposed to show up within the next half hour and he didn't want to leave them hanging.

"It's dangerous out here, you know." Yoongi found himself saying instead of leaving, rolling his shoulders as he relaxed into the bench. Jungkook glanced at him in slight confusion. "There's a wild animal on the loose or something."

Jungkook blinked once, twice and then snapped his gaze away so quickly it made Yoongi flinch. "Then why are you here?"

"Quickest route home."

"You're not afraid?"

Yoongi shrugged again and moved to his feet, Jungkook's gaze following him as he did so. "Not really. And I'm sure you can take care of yourself and all that, but just be careful, yah?"

Jungkook nodded once, blinking up at Yoongi with those large doe-eyes and for a minute, Yoongi couldn't even comprehend why a kid like him was sleeping on a cold hard bench most nights instead of a warm comfortable bed. But it wasn't his place to ask, or to know.

Yoongi's gaze followed the curve of the boy's pale cheek, noticing the hint of a scar before he started to dig around in his bag once more. "It's getting cold." He pointed out, letting out a soft grunt when his fingers snatched onto the knitted fabric he was looking for. "Here." He tossed the red beanie into Jungkook's lap before stuffing his hands in his pockets again.

Jungkook stared at the beanie in surprise for a moment before picking it up and motioning to Yoongi's bare head. "You don't need it?"

"I've got too many of them. Keep it. Stay warm. Stay safe." Yoongi shrugged, moving to take a few steps away from him, signaling he was ready to leave.

"You too." Jungkook mumbled, clutching the beanie to his chest like it was also something precious.

"See you around, kid." Yoongi gave him a flick of a wave before turning his back to him, moving to continue on his path home.

Something tugged at Yoongi's stomach though, something a little warm and sharp. Before he slipped into the forest, he took the chance to glance over his shoulder at the boy. Jungkook was still clutching the two items to his body like they were treasure but there was that smile on his face. The smile Yoongi saw a few nights ago. Bright and beautiful, spread fully across his face, showing off his slightly too large for his mouth teeth and turning his eyes to crescents. Maybe it was the light, or maybe not, but Yoongi could swear he saw a flush to those cheeks that made his stomach bubble with warmth.

It took more effort than necessary for him to turn back around and hurry off into the trees, not wanting to keep his friends waiting any longer than he had to. But that smile, Jungkook's smile, was burned into his brain and he made a mental note to try and bring the kid food every chance he could. If only to see that smile again; perhaps directed at him sometime.

* * *

The studio was quiet around him, the only real sound being the occasional click of keys when Jihoon had a burst of inspiration that he had to type up. Otherwise, the room was quiet, peaceful even which was saying something considering Mingyu was spread out on the couch behind them. He was being quiet for once, too wrapped up in whatever book he was currently reading and even though the three of them weren't directly interacting, having them around was kind of nice for Yoongi. Especially since he felt like his head was going to explode from how much information he was trying to shove into it. He should have taken his basic chemistry class when he was a first year. When he actually had the extra time to memorize this bullshit he didn't even really need to know.

Yoongi wanted to bang his head against the desk but that wouldn't solve anything. So he just continued to stare at the book opened before him until the letters started to blur together. He was glad his track was done a month in advance but he would much rather be working on that, or something new, than studying for a stupid test. The only reason he even cared about the damn thing was because Jihoon was in his class and Yoongi had a weakness for that dimpled smile telling him they had to study.

Motherfucker.

He was evil. Yoongi didn't have any proof really, but there was something sinister lingering in every smile and soft touch Jihoon had to give. Yoongi just wasn't sure what it meant yet.

Also if they were meant to be studying, why the hell was Jihoon hunched over his laptop mixing beats? Oh right, cause the kid was a genius and didn't have to study for hours on end to get shit down, unlike Yoongi. If it was music related, Yoongi was golden. But this? Fuck this. Yoongi wasn't a failure but he wasn't going to ace the test either. Plus his brain was starting to hurt.

A soft knock at the door felt like a savior to Yoongi and he sat up, snapping his book shut as he pushed away from the desk, moving his rolling chair enough to reach out and open the door. He was met with a warm smile that belonged to the one and only Kim Seokjin and the guy never visited Yoongi at the studio so he knew something was up.

"Hey, what's up?" Yoongi greeted as he rolled away from the door back to his desk, leaving the door open so Seokjin could slip inside.

"I brought you lunch." Seokjin spoke softly, so not to disturb the other two in the room. Mingyu glanced up when he entered though and gave the elder a polite wave that Seokjin happily returned. Jihoon was a little lost in what he was doing, his head bobbing slightly to the music playing through the headphones over his ears, not noticing Seokjin's arrival.

"Thanks, but I'm good." Yoongi waved him off, moving to stuff his chemistry book into his bag because fuck it, he was going to mix beats too.

Seokjin made a soft disapproving sound. "Have you eaten today?"

Yoongi hummed as he booted up his computer. "I had breakfast."

"It's almost three, Yoongi." His tone was disappointed and fuck, Yoongi hated that tone.

The blond sighed and turned away from his computer to give Seokjin his full attention. "Alright, fine."

The brunet grinned, his eyes crinkling as he placed the plastic bag in his hand on the desk near Yoongi. "I worked very hard on your lunch box, you know. I expect you to eat every last love filled bit."

Yoongi groaned, slouching in his chair as he leveled Seokjin with a faint glare. "That's just gross, hyung."

Seokjin gave him a slightly offended look. "Are you telling me my cooking is gross, Yoongi?"

"No." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"That's what I thought." Seokjin nodded, humming happily as he tugged out two boxed lunches. "I thought Jihoonie would be with you, so I made one for him too." He glanced over at Mingyu who perked up at the mention of food. "Perhaps you can share."

"He can have mine." Yoongi pointed out, waving a hand as he moved to bring his keyboard closer. "I'm not hungry."

"Min Yoongi." Oh no. Not the mother tone. "You will eat this lovingly made lunch or I'll sick Jimin on you."

"Oh no, anything but that." Yoongi drawled sarcastically, smirking slightly when Seokjin slapped his shoulder. "Seriously, hyung, it's cool."

"Jimin told me you haven't been eating my lunches, so I came here personally to make sure that you do." Seokjin stated, huffing slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest, peering down at the younger. "If you haven't been eating them, then who has?"

"It doesn't matter, hyung." Yoongi fully planned on punishing Jimin for being a little fucking tattle tale but he didn't want to get into it with Seokjin. The important thing was his lunches were still eaten. Isn't that what mattered? Not to mention as hard as Mingyu was trying not to listen in on their conversation, he was still in the small room and he wasn't deaf. And Jihoon, well, Yoongi could never tell if the kid was listening or not.

"Min Yoongi, I know you are a busy man with many important things to do but eating and getting proper sleep is important for your well being. Look at you." Seokjin's fingers were warm when they wrapped around Yoongi's pale bony wrist. "You'll turn into a skeleton at this point."

Yoongi rolled his eyes but didn't brush off the brunet's touch. "I eat breakfast every morning and I might skip lunch a lot but I always make sure to eat when I get home, okay? I appreciate you all worrying about me but I've got this."

Seokjin gave him a hard stare, searching his eyes before he dropped his wrist, nodding and accepting Yoongi's words. "Alright. I believe you. But I'd rather you not waste the lunches I lovingly make for you."

Yoongi sighed heavily. "I don't waste them."

"You eat them when you get home?"

"No."

Seokjin blinked in surprise. "Then where do they go?"

The blond rubbed at his eye, the throbbing of a headache coming on. "Just this kid, okay? I think he's homeless or something. He needs it more than I do."

The room fell silent for a moment, Jihoon's fingers stilling over his keyboard but when Yoongi glanced at him, the boy looked lost in thought. Mingyu was still reading his book but Seokjin was looking at Yoongi like he just told him he gave birth to a child with tentacles for arms. Yoongi blinked at him and when he mouthed "what?", Seokjin seemed to snap out of it.

"You're giving my box lunches to a street kid?" He didn't sound upset in anyway, just surprised.

"Yeah."

"Did you..." Seokjin's face lit up, a smile curling to his plump lips. "Yoongi, did you take in a street kid?"

"What? No." Yoongi scoffed softly, rolling his eyes. "He's just usually sleeping on a bench in the park I cut through when I go home and I leave him food and stuff. I've been there, I know what it's like. I don't know his story but it's the least I can do."

Jihoon was glancing at him now, his dark eyes cut to the side and Yoongi couldn't see Mingyu but he heard the couch shift under his weight as he moved to sit up. Seokjin's heavy brow furrowed for just a moment before he spoke.

"The park? Jimin told me you stopped going through that park. It's dangerous, Yoongi."

"Yah, not you too, hyung." He groaned, sinking in his chair as he rubbed a fist against his temple. "I've been going through that park for months and there's nothing wrong with it. I can handle myself, alright?"

Thank fuck for Kim Seokjin, really. The man stared at him for a few seconds longer before nodding, a smile coming to his lips. "Then I'll have to start making an extra box lunch for this kid."

"You don't have to."

"Hey, if you're giving your lunch to him, the least I can do is make sure the both of you are fed." Seokjin nodded to himself.

Jihoon took that moment to slide his headphones off till they rested around his neck and greeted Seokjin with a soft smile that the elder happily returned. "Hey, hyung."

"Have you eaten yet either, Jihoonie?" Seokjin questioned, leveling the boy with a slightly stern look.

"He had a bagel this morning." Mingyu spoke up, earning a slight glare from the pink haired boy.

Seokjin tisked and picked up one of the boxed lunches. "Honestly, what are we going to do with the two of you? I know your work is important to you, but you need to eat." He reached around Yoongi to offer the box to Jihoon who took it with a soft smile into his nimble fingers. "Both of you, so frustrating." He sighed but there was a loving smile on his lips as he pushed the other box toward Yoongi who stared at it.

"Yah, no wonder you're both short sticks. All malnourished and whatnot. Can't grow if you don't eat." Mingyu sounded amused and the bastard was damn fucking lucky Jihoon was his boyfriend because otherwise, if Yoongi had any say in it, the tall asshole would be breathing through a tube.

Jihoon's face remained blank as he pushed away from the desk and kicked Mingyu's shin. He didn't kick him too hard, just enough to make the asshole yelp in surprise and rub at where he was kicked. Jihoon seemed satisfied with that and rolled back to the desk, turning his nose up slightly.

"I was going to share with you but nope."

"Hyung." Mingyu whined faintly and it was almost comical how the boy moved to the floor to crawl up beside his boyfriend.

Seokjin laughed softly, patting Yoongi's shoulder gently. "Eat up this time, okay? I've got to get going."

"Thanks hyung." Yoongi gave Seokjin's arm a pat and it was the most affection the brunet was going to get out of him.

"Thank you, hyung." Jihoon gave him a flick of a wrist as a wave that Seokjin returned.

The tall brunet bid his goodbyes before slipping out of the studio, shutting the door behind him, leaving them in comfortable silence once again. Yoongi eyed the boxed lunch near his keyboard and though he did love Seokjin's cooking, there was someone who needed that lunch more than he did. So he pushed it to the side and tugged on his headphones, smashing his blond hair against his face and muffling the soft sounds of Mingyu whining like a puppy.

Jihoon was a lot of things but it seemed even he had his weaknesses because when Yoongi cast them a glance, the pink haired boy was shoving full chopsticks into Mingyu's grinning mouth, a faint flush curled over his ears peeking over the snapback he wore. A faint smile curled to Yoongi's lips as he focused on the computer screen before him, ignoring the slight hallow feeling between his lungs.

* * *

Yoongi wanted to feel accomplished but he'd be lying to himself if he said he actually accomplished anything that day. His brain was still a little numb from the information he tried to shove into it and chances were, he'd be lucky to pass his quiz tomorrow but hell, at least he tried. And at least he was passing the class so even if he failed this one quiz it wouldn't be the end of it for him.

He had been in the process of creating a new melody when Jihoon and Mingyu decided it was getting too late and they left him alone in the studio. The clock read 10:25 when they left and the next thing Yoongi knew, it was past midnight and his eyes felt like they might fall out of their sockets. So he saved all his shit, packed up his things and locked up the studio, ready to head home, eat a late dinner and hopefully pass the fuck out.

It was another chilly night following a rather nice day so Yoongi only had a hoodie with him. Luckily there wasn't any wind to cut through his bones so the soft red fabric of his over-sized hoodie would be enough to keep him warm till he got home, hood pulled up over his messy hair and hiding the buds shoved into his ears.

As Yoongi neared the entrance to the park he wondered if he'd be too late or too early to meet up with Jungkook or if the kid would even be there. Because some nights he just wasn't there. Yoongi didn't know about the mornings. He always took the bus in the mornings, too tired to put forth the effort of actually walking all the way to campus. But as far as he knew, Jungkook didn't spend every single night sleeping on that bench in the park.

Soft music flowed through his ears as he entered the park. The moon was high enough in the sky to actually be seen through the city fog, almost full from the look of it. There was a slight breeze as Yoongi followed along the path but it was pleasant, brushing against his cheeks and filling his nose with the scent of earth. It smelled like it might rain soon and Yoongi hoped that would hold off at least until he got home. He didn't feel like getting wet.

The bench was empty and Yoongi tried to not feel too disappointed. It wasn't the first time he strolled through the park to find that bench empty and it probably wouldn't be the last time. But this was different. He knew it was different, even if he wasn't willing to admit that aloud.

Before, it was just some kid he didn't know bringing out the small bit of humanity Yoongi had left in him because he knew what it felt like to sleep on a hard cold wooden bench for the night because he had no where else to go. He knew what it felt like to curl up around himself so tightly to try and stop the hunger pains only to suffer more for it. He just wanted to help.

But now, he was more than just some kid. He was Jeon Jungkook. Knowing his name made everything seem more real, more personal. Knowing what his voice sounded like, knowing what those eyes felt like when they were on him. Knowing how those plump lips curled up into a sweet smile, showing off his teeth and lighting up his otherwise lifeless eyes made everything just a bit more meaningful.

Okay, Yoongi was a little screwed.

He let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his eyes, trying to brush off the stinging in them from staring at a book and computer screen for much too long. His heart felt a little heavy in his chest when he passed that empty bench and as hard as he tried not to glance at it, he couldn't help it. He wouldn't have minded sitting with the boy and chatting for a while tonight. He didn't have anyone waiting for him at home. Just a cold dark empty apartment that he was slightly dreading returning too. But Jungkook was nowhere in sight so Yoongi just had to deal.

Hunching a little more around himself, head ducked down, hands in pockets, Yoongi picked up his pace, his boots clicking against the pavement. The music playing through his earbuds was soft, melodic even, and through it, he could hear the trees rustling in the wind. Walking through the bit of forest was the shortest part of his route but always felt like the longest. Perhaps because he was wrapped up in darkness, or perhaps because his steps always slowed as he followed the path. Either way, he followed the curved path into the trees, leaving the empty bench behind.

Though his music wasn't too loud, it was enough to cut out a decent amount of outside sound. He could hear the trees rustling occasionally, and sometimes his own foot steps, but then those sounds would be cut off by the piano picking up in tempo or a voice singing beautifully into his ear. So it wasn't that much of a surprise that Yoongi didn't hear footsteps. It was, however, a rather big shock when someone stumbled into the path before him.

Yoongi nearly jumped out of his skin when a body flung out from the tree line, stumbling to the ground to land on their knees as they clutched at their chest. His heart jumped into his throat at the sight, pounding so hard he could barely breathe. For a split second, he thought it was Jihoon again but this person was hunched over, shaking slightly and it was too dark to really see what was going on from where Yoongi was stuck to the pavement.

A simple flick of his thumb and his music stopped. Silence. Then, heavy breathing coming from the person kneeling before him, turned mostly away from him and _holy hell_ was that blood?

A cold spike of fear crawled up Yoongi's spine and every single word Jimin, Taehyung, Jihoon and Seokjin ever said to him about this park being dangerous crashed to the front of his mind. His fingers twitched, his heart throbbed, his throat burned, and he didn't know what to do.

Cautiously, he took a step forward, his boot clinking against the pavement and then the person's head snapped to him much too quickly to be humanly possible.

 _Jungkook._ Yoongi would know those wide brown eyes anywhere.

"Holy fuck." Yoongi breathed out and then his feet were moving on their own, hurrying to the youth's side to drop beside him, reaching out but not touching, his hands hovering in the air as Jungkook stared at him with wide slightly terrified eyes. "Are you okay?" Stupid question, really stupid, Yoongi could see in the dim light that the boy was cradling his arm to his chest and there was some liquid, _blood it had to be_ , dripping to the pavement.

"I..." Jungkook's voice was tight and he looked so scared, his eyes wide and his cheeks flushed.

"Right, okay. You're hurt." Yoongi swallowed hard, trying to ease the panic he was suddenly feeling. "Hospital, we should-"

"No." Jungkook shook his head frantically. "No, please."

His breath caught in the back of his throat. "You're hurt."

"Fine, I'll be fine." Jungkook assured him, clutching his arm closer to his chest and Yoongi realized the boy was putting pressure on his bicep, where it seemed the bleeding was coming from.

Yoongi had seen enough blood in his lifetime to know how to deal with it. Between Jimin and Taehyung being reckless idiots and Namjoon a disaster to himself, Yoongi was used to seeing people hurt. But this; there was something off about this. Something off about the fear in Jungkook's eyes and the way his pale fingers were clutching the fabric of his jacket.

Were they in danger?

That spike of fear was back and Yoongi moved to grasp onto Jungkook's shoulder, clutching at him and pulling him until they were both on their feet again. "Come on, I've got a kit at home. Better than the hospital, yeah?"

Jungkook nodded in agreement, his eyes snapping to the tree line he stumbled out of. Something strange crossed his face, something Yoongi couldn't quite read. It wasn't fear this time, it was more like anger but it was gone almost as quickly as it came and then Jungkook's cold bloody fingers were wrapping around Yoongi's wrist, holding on tightly as if he was terrified to let go.

"Right. Come on."

Yoongi didn't dare look into those trees. He didn't dare look back either, twisting his hand until he had a good hold of Jungkook's blood slicked fingers and then they were moving quickly, feet shuffling against the pavement until adrenaline kicked in and they were running. Jungkook's blood was warm and sticky while his hand was cold and shaking in Yoongi's own. He was hurt, and though Yoongi didn't know how or why he still felt they were in some sort of danger.

There was a sense of relief when they hurried out of the park and into the street. Like whatever fear they felt melted away because they were finally safe. Yoongi wasn't sure if they were, so he didn't hesitate to turn down the street and carefully pull Jungkook along with him. The boy obediently followed along, clutching at his arm and wincing only occasionally.

Yoongi's apartment complex was only a block away and considering it was so late a night, there wasn't anyone in sight when they entered the building. Jungkook clutched his arm tighter, doing his best not to drip blood as they hurried to the stairwell. Their footfalls echoed off the walls as they hurried up the stairs, stopping at the third floor where only four doors happened to be. Yoongi finally released Jungkook's wrist so he could dig into his bag for his keys, rubbing the blood off onto his jeans without much of a care. Entering his dark empty apartment was a bit of a relief for once and he quickly shut the door after pulling Jungkook inside, not hesitating to lock the damn thing up just in case.

"Wait here." Yoongi spoke softly as he tugged his bag off to drop by the door. Jungkook did as was told, standing awkwardly in front of the door as Yoongi scurried off into the living room, flicking on lights as he went. He snatched up an old bandanna from the coffee table and shoved it at Jungkook. "Put this on it. I'll be right back."

Jungkook nodded and took the black and white cloth, finally pulling his hand away to push the balled up bandanna against his bleeding wound. Yoongi only caught a glimpse and all he could see was blood sinking into the fabric of his coat, so he hurried off into the bathroom, digging around until he found the first aid kit that was mandatory to have around between Namjoon, Taehyung and Jimin.

"Sit, sit." Yoongi said when he re-entered the main open floor part of the apartment, motioning for Jungkook to come over to the couch.

"I... I don't want to get blood everywhere." The boy mumbled softly, his eyes still wide like he couldn't believe what was going on.

"Don't worry about it. I know how to get blood out of anything, come sit down." He patted the back of the couch before hurrying off into the kitchen to fill a bowl with warm water.

When Yoongi returned, Jungkook was sitting primly on the edge of the couch, his jacket abandoned on the floor. He was wearing a simple black t-shit that was wrinkled from use and the streaks of dried blood down his arm were slightly concerning. A million questions swirled around Yoongi's head but none of them were important at the moment. He placed the bowl on the coffee table and sat down beside the youth who glanced up at him, his teeth caught on his bottom lip.

"Alright, let me see." Yoongi motioned to the wound, where Jungkook was still holding the cloth against it tightly.

Jungkook didn't move however. He just stared at Yoongi for a solid minute before dropping his gaze to the slim space between them. Okay then. Yoongi let out a soft sigh and pulled one leg up onto the couch, bending it so he could lean closer to Jungkook, ignoring how their legs pressed together by doing so. When he reached for him, Jungkook didn't flinch away, so Yoongi grabbed the hem of his sleeve and rolled it up over his shoulder, eyeing muscles he didn't know the kid had.

"I can't fix it if I can't see it, Jungkook."

"Why are you doing this?" It was a softly spoken question, filled with all kinds of emotion that made Yoongi's throat dry.

"Cause you're bleeding and I'm not a heartless asshole." Yoongi grumbled, grabbing at the first aid kit to put it on the coffee table beside the bowl of water. He popped it open, wincing when the lid smacked hard against the glass of the table. "Now let me see." He wasn't soft and kind like Seokjin but when he laid his hand over Jungkook's the boy seemed to relax enough to allow him to pry his fingers away from the cloth.

Yoongi replaced Jungkook's hand over the cloth and leaned in close, inhaling the scent of earth and pine and apples from Jungkook's dirty skin. He was careful as he pulled the cloth away, leaning in close enough to see the wound. But there was too much dried blood for him to see anything. From the look of it, the wound had stopped flowing blood so that was good news though it was still bleeding so Yoongi held the cloth there, keeping pressure on the wound as he reached over to grab a wash cloth from the kit.

Jungkook watched him with unreadable eyes as he dumped the cloth in warm water and then rang it out with one hand. He was careful as he pulled the bandanna away, some of the cloth sticking to Jungkook's skin as he did so. He replaced the bandanna with the wet cloth and then tossed the bloodied thing to the floor along with Jungkook's ruined coat.

Those eyes felt like fire against his skin, Jungkook opting to watch Yoongi's face instead of the steady movements of his hands as they carefully cleaned dried blood away. He tried to ignore those eyes, and the way they made his heart thump, as he grabbed another dry cloth to press into the wound as he focused on cleaning Jungkook's arm of blood.

"Hold that for me."

Jungkook did as told, cupping his hand over the cloth to hold in place over the wound Yoongi still couldn't see. He had to get the blood to stop before he could do anything with it anyway so he focused on cleaning the blood from Jungkook's pale skin. Carefully, he took the boy's hand into his own, ignoring the way heat flared up his neck as he drug the wet cloth down his skin.

Once the cloth started to dry out, Yoongi dipped it in the water again, cleaning it slightly and ringing it out again only to clean more blood away. He repeated the process until Jungkook's pale skin was clean, blue and purple veins prominent on his arms and wow did he have nice arms. Nice hands too, short fingers that curled over Yoongi's long pale ones. His fingernails were absolutely filthy but Yoongi ignored that for now, ringing out the cloth once more so he could move on to the source of all the blood.

"Does it hurt? What the hell happened?" The words tumbled from Yoongi's mouth as he squinted at the cloth covering the wound, brushing Jungkook's hand away so he could replace it.

Jungkook shrugged one shoulder, finally glancing away from Yoongi's face to look at his upper arm. "It doesn't hurt that much."

"That was a lot of blood, kid." Yoongi mumbled, peeling the cloth away carefully to see what he was dealing with.

A cold silence fell over the both of them as Yoongi dropped the cloth into his lap, a cold lump freezing in his throat.

Coated in a layer of dried blood Yoongi had yet to clean away was a round mark. It covered a good portion of Jungkook's bicep which was saying something since the kid's muscles rivaled Jimin's. Who knew Jungkook was hiding all that under thick layers of over-sized clothes? And if Yoongi didn't know any better, he'd say that was a fucking _bite_ wound.

But it wasn't deep or open like Yoongi was expecting. Actually, it appeared to already be healing and when Yoongi looked at Jungkook in bewilderment, the youth refused to meet his gaze.

"Jungkook." The kid flinched slightly, closing his eyes. "What the hell bit you?"

Jungkook just shook his head, shifting to try and tug his arm out of Yoongi's hold but the elder just tightened his fingers around that strong bicep.

Yoongi was careful as he cleaned the rest of the dried blood away and damn sure enough the wound was practically healing. He could see around the edges of the teeth marks paler skin that looked like scars, thicker and wider than the actual open wounds. The crescent shape of the bite was too sharp to be human but there was still something human about it. He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he scrubbed the last of the blood away and sat back, watching that wound like it would suddenly do something magical.

"I told you I'd be fine." Jungkook mumbled softly, his lips pursed as he stared at the floor.

"What bit you?" Jungkook remained silent and Yoongi had a feeling he might never get an answer out of the kid. So he sighed heavily and tossed the wet cloth onto the dirty pile on the floor, rubbing the back of his wrist over his forehead. "Alright fine, whatever. If you knew you'd be fine, why the hell did you come with me then?"

Yoongi felt exhausted. Maybe it was from the running or maybe it was from the spike in his emotions that was starting to fade away. Either way, he was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to curl up and fall asleep.

"Because you asked me to."

It was an innocent answer to a simple question and when Yoongi glanced at him, Jungkook's eyes were on the floor, a faint flush curled over the apples of his cheeks.

_Oh._

Yoongi swallowed hard and carefully moved to his feet, gathering up all the dirty clothes from the floor to pile in his arms. "Are you hungry? I've still go that boxed lunch my friend made that I didn't eat."

Jungkook shook his head and moved to his feet, going up and up until Yoongi had to tilt his head back slightly to look up at the kid. Motherfucking kids and their goddamn freakish height. If it weren't for Jihoon, Yoongi would hate the youth as a whole. At least that kid was shorter than him. Jimin too even if it was only by a centimeter.

"I-I should go."

"Hey, I'm showing you kindness here kid, out of the goodness of my old ass heart." Yoongi grumbled, crunching up his face as he shuffled out of the living room to drop off the bloodied clothes near the washer in the kitchen. After a little debate, Yoongi tugged off his red hoodie as well, a bit of blood splattered on it and dropped it to the pile. He'd deal with it later.

"I don't want to be a bother."

"Look, I don't know your story but I can bet you haven't eaten since yesterday." Yoongi spoke up, running a hand through his hair and wincing when he remembered there was still a bit of dried blood on his fingers. His pants too but he'd deal with them in due time. "And probably haven't showered in who knows how long. I'm not some creep-o though I totally get it if you think I am."

Jungkook shook his head at that, dark hair falling across his brow as he did so. "I.. I don't think you're a creep. Kind of weird, but not a creep."

"Yah." Yoongi narrowed his eyes at the kid who had a hint of a smirk curling to his lips. "You want my help or not? It'd be rude not to accept help from your hyung, you know."

"Oh, well, I don't want to be rude." There it was, that slight curl of his lips and that twinkle in his eye that made Yoongi feel all kinds of strange things in his stomach.

"Good." Yoongi nodded firmly and motioned for him to follow him into the bathroom, the only other door in the apartment that didn't lead to his bedroom. "Clean your dirty self. I've got clothes you can borrow."

Jungkook hovered in the bathroom, glancing around the small space as Yoongi left to slip into his bedroom. He had plenty of old clothes left from Namjoon that he was pretty sure would fit the kid well enough to be comfortable. Yoongi didn't think he owned anything that would fit him, too short and too small. But Namjoon was a tall motherfucker and though Jungkook had muscles Namjoon did not, his clothes should still fit.

When Yoongi came back to the bathroom, Jungkook was already in the shower. Slightly embarrassed, Yoongi dropped off the clean clothes on the sink, gathered up his dirty clothes and hurried out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind himself. He wasn't sure if Jungkook had anything of importance in his pockets so he just left his pile of clothes by the coffee table so the boy could grab what he needed later. Yoongi wasn't a snoop after all.

Grabbing the boxed lunch Seokjin made from his bag, Yoongi went into the kitchen to prepare something for the two of them to eat. It was late, past one in the morning and Yoongi had a test at ten the next day but, dealing with what was going on around him was a bit more important. He lived on about three hours of sleep anyway so it wasn't anything he couldn't handle.

There was some leftover Chinese in his fridge that was still good so Yoongi piled that on a plate and shoved it into the microwave to warm up. He gathered bottles of water for the both of them and set everything on the little table he had pushed against the wall in the kitchen.

By the time Jungkook came out of the bathroom, there was enough food for the both of them set out on the table and oh, wow, okay, the kid cleaned up really well.

"Where are my-Oh." Jungkook shuffled over to his clothes by the coffee table and squatted down to dig through them, not noticing or caring how Yoongi was staring at him.

His hair was still damp from his shower, jet black and combed back from his face. The clothes seemed to fit him rather well, worn t-shirt and baggy black sweat pants. As he reached for something in the pocket of his dirty jeans, Yoongi noticed how his arms stretched and what the fucking hell the wound was completely healed. What. The Fuck.

It was a scar now. Light and pale against his already pale skin; Though Jungkook was more of a healthy pale compared to Yoongi's powder pale. The scar wasn't even very noticeable if not for the way the living room light hit it as Jungkook moved. When the boy leaned back on his hunches, the sleeve slipped down, covering the scar and Yoongi finally tore his eyes away.

"I'll wash your clothes with everything else." Yoongi spoke up, placing chopstick down on the table before he moved to sit down.

Jungkook nodded and murmured a thanks to the elder as he gathered up his clothes and moved to drop them off with the pile near the washer. He shuffled over to the table when Yoongi motioned at him and he sat down across from the elder, his eyes flickering about nervously.

"Eat up." Yoongi grabbed his bowl of rice and motioned to Jungkook with his chopsticks before digging in.

Jungkook was hesitant but he eventually moved, his movements slow but steady. He ate slowly, like he was savoring every last bite and he probably was. Yoongi tried not to stare at him like a creep but it was kind of hard. Here was this kid, a kid he barely knew, sitting at his table eating a very late dinner with him because, why the hell not? A thought crossed Yoongi's mind and it was a strange thought, one he had not considered before but as soon as it was there, he couldn't push it from his mind.

"You can stay. If you want." Yoongi spoke up after a while, eyes focused on his chicken before popping it into his mouth. He pushed over the rest of the plate toward Jungkook who glanced up at him in surprise. "It's getting cold and I don't know if you have anywhere else to go but you can stay here."

Jungkook swallowed the food in his mouth before his lips parted. "Are you serious?"

Yoongi shrugged one shoulder. "If you want."

The youth glanced down at the food between them before meeting Yoongi's steady gaze. "You said you know what it's like... What did you mean by that?"

"I lived on the street for a while when I was younger. That's all." He shoved the last bit of rice into his mouth to chew on while Jungkook took in his words.

"I... I don't have anywhere else to go." Jungkook admitted softly after a pause.

"A couch is better than a park bench. It's dangerous out there but obviously I don't have to tell you that." His eyes lingered on Jungkook's arm, where his healed wound was.

"What's the catch?"

Yoongi blinked a few times before he met Jungkook's heavy gaze, something flickering in those honey-brown eyes that Yoongi didn't quite understand. "Catch? Fuck if I know. Maybe it's cause when I was stuck out there like you are, all I wanted was someone to show some kindness that didn't come with consequences. Look, you can leave or stay. That's your choice."

"But you want me to stay." It wasn't a question. Just a simple innocently spoken statement that made heat curl up the back of Yoongi's neck.

"I'm not against the idea."

"You don't even know me." Jungkook pointed out. "What if I steal from you or something?"

"You're not the type. No kid with a cute ass smile like yours steals from old people like me." Yoongi mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides if you wanted to do something, you'd have done it already."

Jungkook searched his eyes for a moment before seeming to come to some conclusion. He nodded once before stuffing food into his mouth, bulging out his cheeks in a way that was totally _not_ cute. "I can't really think of a reason to say no."

"It's settled then. You're sleeping on my couch."

The corners of Jungkook's mouth turned upwards, pulling his lips over his teeth and showing them all off, bunching up his cheeks and curling his eyes. Yoongi was finally faced head on with that smile and it took his breath away, his nails digging hard into the skin of his arms to keep himself from doing or saying something stupid. That smile remained as Jungkook continued eating, a smile of child-like innocence that clung to a boy who had probably been through hell. That smile burned into the front of Yoongi's mind so even over an hour later, as he finally laid down in bed with Jungkook curled warm and snug on his couch, it was the only thing he saw when he closed his eyes.

* * *

As easily as Jungkook settled into Yoongi's life, perhaps the elder should have been concerned. Logic told him they should have been awkward at first, flitting around each other in the small apartment because they didn't know how to act around one another. They were strangers essentially and even though Yoongi meant it when he asked Jungkook to stay, they still knew very little about each other. Plus Yoongi felt he was an awkward person in general.

But awkward was not the case between them.

Jungkook was the quiet type. He never did anything to purposely step on Yoongi's toes but he never went of his way to stay out of the elder's sight either. It was as if Jungkook fit into a little space Yoongi never knew he had that was always made for the boy. They fit together in ways Yoongi never thought possible with a stranger and even though Jungkook rarely opened his mouth to speak about his past, the boy still had plenty of other things to talk about.

The only thing Yoongi knew about him, aside from how much he loved meat, banana milk, dancing and the music Yoongi made and would occasionally let him listen to, was that Jungkook was nineteen and from Busan. The kid never talked about his family or his past or how the hell he ended up sleeping on that park bench and Yoongi respected that. It wasn't his place to pry and maybe one day Jungkook would open up to him, maybe not. Either way, Yoongi was good with it.

Thanks to Taehyung, they set Jungkook up with a part time job at a bakery a few blocks from Yoongi's house. Jungkook didn't want to live with Yoongi for free and he hated feeling like a burden so it seemed like the best option. A lot better than Jungkook being stuck alone at the apartment all day while Yoongi went to class. The job brought out a brighter side to the kid, giving Yoongi the chance to see those stunning smiles more often and, well, he sure wasn't complaining about that.

Not only did Jungkook settle himself easily into Yoongi's life after less than a week, but he settled into the lives of Yoongi's friends just as easily.

Jungkook was quiet but kind and when they fell on a topic he was excited about, like dancing or art, or the latest anime Taehyung lent him, he could talk on and on. It was kind of cute, Yoongi thought, the way one corner of his mouth always curled up when he was talking about something he loved and how his eyes would light up and sparkle. It was times like those when Yoongi thought the boy's eyes were more golden then brown but he convinced himself it was only a trick of the light.

Plus, he was cute. And all of Yoongi's friends had weaknesses for cute things, just like him, and Jungkook was the youngest out of all of them. Seokjin's mother mode kicked in as soon as he met Jungkook and Yoongi got texts and calls from the brunet constantly asking if there was anything Jungkook needed or if he could bring food by. Yoongi would grumble about it but Seokjin's cooking was kind of the best and it wasn't like he didn't benefit from it.

Jimin and Taehyung were thrilled to have another member of their friend circle close to their age, even more thrilled that he was younger, and though Yoongi was slightly concerned those idiots would turn Jungkook into an equally annoying idiot, he was relieved to find that even if Jungkook joined their antics, he was never really as bad as those two.

Namjoon fell for the kid as soon as Jungkook went all wide eyes and excited after learning the elder was an underground rapper like Yoongi. Those large round eyes were hard to resist, Yoongi knew from experience, so it was no surprise when the silver-blond gave into the kid.

And Hoseok was the last to met Jungkook only because he was home on vacation when Jungkook stumbled into their lives. As soon as he heard from Jimin that Yoongi was hording a cute maknae, he burst into their apartment and was pleased to find he had not been lied to. Hoseok's weakness for cute things was worse off than Yoongi's and the blond wasn't surprised when he came home and occasionally found Hoseok already there, teaching Jungkook a new dance move or playing some game with him.

It was nice, Yoongi had to admit.

None of his friends were at all surprised when he told them he had a new roommate and as often as they complained about how cold he was, it seemed that on some level, they understood him better than he expected.

And it was all well and good that Jungkook got along with Yoongi's friends. It was nice that the kid settled easily into his life and started to make a life for himself with Yoongi's help. It was nice to help someone who needed it. To give a little kindness where it was needed and to be rewarded with that blazing smile. It was all good.

And Yoongi thought, maybe, that was the problem.

He was rarely allowed to have good things. Something, usually him, always managed to fuck it up. He wasn't meant to be socially active 24/7 and even when he was living with Namjoon, they had their problems. Even though it left Yoongi lonely, Namjoon moving out was one of the best things to ever happen to their friendship. Yoongi knew he was a hard person to live with; to deal with on a daily basis. And yet, no matter how grumpy, aggressive or agitated he became, Jungkook never seemed to mind.

Yoongi was getting comfortable. And that scared him. He had someone waiting for him when he went home. He no longer had a cold empty apartment waiting for him but a warm beautiful smile that never failed to lift his heart just a little bit. And losing that, some way, some how, terrified him. Getting comfortable terrified him. Because losing it, and he was pretty damn sure he would lose it, would ruin him just a little bit more than he already was.

* * *

Without realizing it, Yoongi's nights at the studio grew less and less late because there was someone waiting for him in his apartment. He didn't _need_ to spend handfuls of hours in the campus studio since he had his own equipment at home but he did so only because going home meant being alone in a cold dark place. At least on campus, he usually had Jihoon and Mingyu with him, or Jimin and Taehyung. It was better than being alone.

But now, he had someone waiting for him. Someone with a stunning smile and warm words that never failed to make him feel like home was exactly where he belonged.

His home studio was getting more use out of it in the past week than it ever had in the entire year or so he lived in the apartment. It was a good thing really, using equipment that wasn't that bad just not as nice as the school's. The up side were cute bunny smiles, soft hands that occasionally touched his shoulders while he worked and someone to check up on him every hour or so.

Tonight was no different. Yoongi left campus around three, which was a hell of a lot earlier than he usually did, and Jungkook was waiting for him when he got home. They spoke about their days for about an hour before Jimin and Taehyung showed up and Yoongi stuffed himself away in his studio again.

That was hours ago.

Yoongi leaned back in his chair, making the cheap leather crack beneath his weight as he stretched his arms high above his head, sighing in content when a few bones cracked. It was nearing dinner time and as he pulled off his headphones, he could hear the soft thump of music coming from the living room, reminding him that Jimin and Taehyung were still there. He had the option to return to his work, even though it wasn't that important, or he could join them.

The soft rumble of his stomach made up his mind for him. He knew if he was hungry than Jungkook was probably hungry as well. The chances of his kitchen having anything worth cooking were pretty slim since Yoongi wasn't a cook and damn, he really needed to go grocery shopping now that he had another mouth to feed. Seokjin would kick his ass if he ever let Jungkook go hungry. So Yoongi drug himself out of his chair and pulled open his bedroom door, stopping in his tracks when he saw the three younger ones in the living room.

Music was thumping from the stereo where Jimin had plugged his phone into and the brunet was currently standing in the middle of the living room with Taehyung at his side, moving his body step by step so his sort of boyfriend could follow along. They were practicing, it seemed, but Yoongi's attention was brought to Jungkook, who was standing off to the side, near the kitchen, watching them with bright eyes as he slowly moved his arms, following Jimin's lead as well.

Yoongi's heart jumped into his throat and he couldn't look away from Jungkook, a burning heat swirling up his neck. The youth was focused on what Jimin and Taehyung were doing, so he didn't notice Yoongi staring at first. He was sweating, just like the other two, but his dark bangs were damp, sticking to his forehead as a bead of sweat trailed down his cheek, following the curve of his jaw and Yoongi couldn't look away from it.

Jungkook balled the bottom of his sleeveless shirt into his fist and then lifted it, rubbing the fabric against his hairline to brush away the sweat and holy fucking hell, _his stomach_. Yoongi's brain short circuited for just a moment, a burning heat curling through his stomach and oh fuck did he want him. No one should be allowed to be that attractive. It wasn't even fair.

Yoongi was jarred by the burning thoughts that popped to the front of his mind and he quickly glanced away, taking a few deep breaths to calm his racing heart. When he finally gained the strength to glance at Jungkook again, he was met with those large eyes staring right back at him. Plump lips curled up on one side, his teeth poking out just enough and Yoongi kind of wanted to touch him. Touch and maybe a little more.

But he couldn't touch. Even thinking about it was dangerous so he pushed those dirty thoughts to the farthest part of his mind and shook off the heat curling around in his body.

Jimin noticed him enter the room and he flashed Yoongi a smile before he hurried over to turn off the music, not wanting to disturb Yoongi any more than they already had.

"Hey hyung!"

"You guys hungry?" Yoongi asked, crinkling his nose at the slight scent of sweat in the room.

Jimin and Taehyung lit up, the taller throwing his arms over Jimin's shoulders. "Food!"

"Pizza?" Yoongi offered and the way the two of them shouted in excitement was the only answer he needed. He rolled his eyes at them and tugged his phone out of his pocket, moving past them into the kitchen so he could find the number for the closest pizza delivery place.

"That's nice of you, hyung."

Yoongi wasn't expecting Jungkook's voice as he dug through the restaurant leaflets collected in a basket on the counter. His voice was close, his body even closer and the heat that curled up his neck made his heart squeeze. Yoongi could smell apples and a bit of sweat and when he dared a glance over his shoulder, Jungkook was there, just a little to his left, smiling at him softly.

"There's nothing in this house to eat and Seokjin-hyung would kick my ass if I let you go hungry." Yoongi mumbled, his voice a low rumble as he focused on the menus he was carding through. "We should go food shopping tomorrow or something."

Jungkook hummed, shifting his weight from foot to foot before he leaned in closer, his chin ghosting over Yoongi's shoulder, heat radiating off him and thoroughly making Yoongi internally lose his shit. "I know Jimin likes his veggies but can we get a lot of meat?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper in Yoongi's ear and even though he was talking about anything but what was going through Yoongi's head, his skin still prickled in a rush of unexpected arousal.

"Yeah." He answered without much thought and nudged his shoulder backwards into Jungkook's collar bone, hoping the little asshole would take the hint and get the fuck out of his personal bubble. Usually Yoongi didn't mind how close Jungkook liked to get to him, rarely touching but always close enough to do so. But right now, Jungkook was way too attractive all sweaty and flushed and Yoongi's brain was frazzling about it.

Jungkook took the hint, luckily enough, a ghost of a smirk curling to his lips before he left to rejoin Jimin and Taeyhung in the living room. Yoongi leaned on the counter, his fingers curling around the edge as he took deep solid breaths to calm himself down. What the hell _was_ that? Seriously, he cant fucking react that way to a kid he was still getting to know. To a kid that _lived_ with him. Yoongi wanted to smack himself but he focused on ordering their dinner, promising himself he wouldn't react like that again. It was creepy and Yoongi refused to be a fucking creep.

* * *

When the colored lines on his computer screen were starting to blur, Yoongi knew it was time to pack up and go home. Two weeks ago, he would have downed three more cups of coffee and pushed through the dryness in his eyes but it wasn't two weeks ago. It was now and he had someone waiting for him at home and the more he thought about it the antsier he became. A glance at the digital clock in the top corner of his screen told him it was nearing ten o'clock and that was when he decided it was time to go home. It was way past the normal time he went home lately and he wondered if Jungkook was lonely.

Pushing away from his desk and tugging his headphones to rest around his neck, Yoongi snatched up his phone from where it was resting on the corner of his desk. Swiping through, he found a few texts from Jungkook from over an hour ago that mentioned Seokjin stopped by with dinner since Yoongi was "working too hard to feed him". He smiled softly at the words and quickly sent a text back that he was heading home soon. He tugged off his headphones and saved the track he was working on before shutting everything down so he could pack up and leave.

"Going home, hyung?"

Yoongi flinched at the soft voice, completely forgetting that Jimin and Taehyung were still there, sitting on the couch behind him with their legs all tangled together. It looked like they had been studying and for once, had been quiet enough for Yoongi to forget they were even there. He nodded at Jimin's question and rolled his eyes at the way the brunet lit up.

"Can we come with you?"

It was a question but Yoongi didn't have to answer it. Even if he said no, they'd whine and beg until he let them. So he just shrugged as he moved to his feet and started packing all his things away in his bag.

"Yes!" Taehyung said excitedly, shoving Jimin's limbs off his body so he could move to his feet. "I haven't seen Jungkookie in ages."

"You saw him yesterday." Yoongi stated blandly, focusing on the books he was shoving away into his bag.

"Right hyung, ages." Taehyung confirmed, moving to pack all his things up as well.

"I'm starting to think you love him more than me." Jimin mumbled as he got to his feet and Yoongi couldn't tell if the boy was serious or not. But when he heard Taehyung let out a soft whine and the little soft click of lips pressing together, well, he sure as hell didn't need to see that.

"You idiots coming or what?" Yoongi grumbled, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he flicked off the light above his desk.

The other two made noises of confirmation and Yoongi didn't wait for them to gather their things before he left the studio, locking it up after they hurried after him. Jimin and Taehyung made conversation as Yoongi led them out of the building into the cool night air. Winter was upon them and Yoongi was glad he made a promise to Jungkook because he sure as hell didn't want to spend an hour of his time walking when it was so fucking cold outside.

"Hyung?" Jimin's light voice caught his attention and when he glanced over his shoulder, he saw they were both stopped, looking at him slightly confused. "Where are you going?"

"The bus stop." Yoongi motioned to the area within sight and something flickered across Jimin's features that Yoongi didn't quite catch.

"Oh! You really stopped going through the park?" Jimin perked up, linking his arm with Taehyung's as they started walking again.

"It's too cold anyway." Yoongi mumbled offhandedly, tugging his leather jacket closer around his body with his hands tucked away in the pockets. He didn't have a decent winter coat and maybe he needed to get one. But all his extra money, the bit that came from weekend gigs, went toward food to feed an extra mouth or anything extra Jungkook might need. Though the kid had a job of his own, Yoongi still felt responsible for him.

"Well, I'm glad you stopped. I read a few days ago that they found another one."

"I thought they locked up the park."

"They did." Yoongi confirmed Taehyung's words, remembering how the gates to the park were closed and locked when he passed by early that morning. He hadn't thought much of it then and honestly, he still didn't think much of it. Taking the bus cut off forty minutes of his usual route home and now, he had someone waiting for him. He didn't have time to waste.

"Whoa that's scary." Jimin whined softly, pressing close to Taehyung as they came to a stop for the bus.

Yoongi knew the bus schedule by heart and if they waited another five or so minutes, they'd catch the next bus to his apartment. It was cold, and a little bitter, but it was worth the wait. He leaned back against the pole with the bus stop sign on it and huddled in on himself as Taehyung and Jimin stood in front of him, keeping each other warm.

"Don't you find it scary, hyung?" Jimin asked him, watching him with slightly wide eyes. "That park is so close to your apartment."

Yoongi just shrugged. "As many times as I've been through that park, I've never seen anything strange." Excluding the time he found Jungkook stumbling into his path, bleeding. But he chose not to bring that up. No one knew about that. It was their little secret. He was a little bit relieved that the park was closed off now until the police figured out what the hell was going on, or caught whoever was doing what they were doing. Hopefully, no one else got hurt.

"I think you're lucky nothing bad happened to you." Jimin sighed, nodding to himself.

Taehyung's eyes were raised to the sky, as if he were in thought. "Didn't you find Jungkookie in that park?"

"Oh my god." Jimin gasped. "That's right. Did he ever see anything weird?"

"Ask him yourself." Yoongi shrugged, not one to tell someone elses story. If Jungkook wanted people to know, he would tell them. Otherwise, Yoongi planned on keeping his mouth shut.

The bus arrived then, pulling up with the brakes hissing and though the contraption was old and didn't smell all that great, it was a hell of a lot better than walking in the bitter cold. Yoongi found himself shoved between Jimin and Taehyung at the back of the bus and sat in silence as the two of them talked about some class they had together.

Yoongi thought of the track he was working on. The one that required Jimin's voice which was the whole reason he had to deal with the two of them in the first place. Originally, he wanted Jihoon but the boy was suffering from a bit of a cold and though Yoongi was willing to wait, he wanted to see what his words would sound like with Jimin's equally sweet voice. They had the same range after all, though the tone was very different. Jihoon was sweet were Jimin was a little more edgy, which was surprising considering their personalities were the opposite.

The track was something Yoongi was hoping to throw onto his mix tape, a song with a soft haunting melody and heavy lyrics. It was different than what he usually did and he was pretty proud of that. He still wanted Jihoon's opinion, and maybe his voice, but for now, it was a start. He was thinking about working on it some more when he got home since Jungkook would be preoccupied with Jimin and Taehyung. His studio always made him feel a little more refreshed, the different environment pulling out different inspiration.

Jungkook was sprawled out on the couch when they arrived at the apartment, phone in hand as he played some game on it. Jimin and Taehyung quickly pushed past Yoongi to greet Jungkook and the elder mumbled under his breath as he kicked off his shoes and tugged off his coat. He was in the process of hanging up his coat when he felt a warm hand on his shoulder that was quickly gone as soon as he noticed it.

"Welcome home, hyung." Jungkook's smile was bright, a little too bright for Yoongi's heart to handle and since when was he so close?

Yoongi blinked twice before nodding, swallowing hard in an attempt to get his heart to _calm the fuck down_. "You ate?"

"Mhm." Jungkook nodded, his cheeks bunching up as his smile grew. "There's some for you too."

"Thanks." He patted the boy's shoulder as he brushed past him, curling his fingers into a fist at his side afterwards to stop the tingling in them. "I'm going to get some work done."

Jungkook opened his mouth but Jimin stepped in, tossing an arm around Jungkook's shoulders even though the younger was a good head taller than him. "We'll take care of him, hyung!"

A light flush curled to Jungkook's cheeks and the side eye he gave Jimin made Yoongi want to laugh, but he kept that down and just nodded his head, adjusting the bag on his shoulder as he turned toward his bedroom. "Just don't be loud and obnoxious for once."

Yoongi didn't have to turn around to know Jimin was pouting. "We're not obnoxious, hyung!"

"I won't hesitate to kick you idiots out." Yoongi reminded them before he slipped into his bedroom, leaving the door open a crack.

One corner of his bedroom was dedicated to being his studio and though it wasn't as nice as the one at school, it was good enough. He could lay down some simple beats and that was all he was looking to do anyway. He was about to toss his bag into his made bed, Jungkook's doing, not his own, when he heard Jimin's light voice flitter into his room.

"How do you put up with him? He's so cranky all the time." Jimin complained, his voice soft with a hint of affection but Yoongi could just picture the way his nose crunched up when he complained.

"I've... just learned what his moods mean." Jungkook spoke softly.

"Cranky, grumpy and more crank." Taehyung laughed, the sound of the couch creaking beneath his weight as he sat down, so Yoongi assumed.

Jungkook made a soft noise. "He just shows how he cares... differently."

The silence that followed was a little heavy and something strange curled up Yoongi's spine, his knees shaking just enough to make him plop down onto the edge of his bed.

"So you've noticed it too." Jimin mused, something curling his voice that made Yoongi's cheeks flush with heat. "You two are so cute!"

"Stop, hyung!" Jungkook groaned. "Don't even joke about that."

"Tae, look! He's blushing!"

"What if he hears you?" Jungkook whispered harshly, loud enough for Yoongi hear no matter what the youth thought.

Jimin's giggles filled the air and suddenly Yoongi had a feeling this entire conversation was something not meant for his ears. He moved to close the door but paused when Jimin spoke up again.

"It's just, he's seems so much happier since he found you, you know? Not that hyung was unhappy or anything but now it's like... he smiles more and there's a brightness to him. We all tried to keep him company cause hyung is the type to lose himself in his work and forget to take care of himself. And he never complained about living here alone or anything but I knew he was lonely. And now, he has you! It's just nice is all, Kookie. You're important to him."

"You make it sound like they're dating, Jiminnie."

"Are you?"

"What?" Jungkook practically squeaked and the heat that curled up the back of Yoongi's neck made it rather hard for him to breathe properly. "N-No! I'm lucky he cares enough to let me stay here, please, don't ruin this for me by putting weird stuff like that in his head!"

Yoongi had heard enough. Moving to his feet, he carefully pushed his door shut, biting into his lower lip hard as it made a soft click, cutting off whatever else the three youths were talking about. Something cold and sick was curling around in his chest and as much as Yoongi hated it, there wasn't anything he could do about it. So he shoved on his headphones and tried to get to work, ignoring the way his chest felt heavy and how impossible it was to focus on the melody playing into his ears.

* * *

Getting comfortable with someone was something Yoongi always avoided. For a while, he didn't even realize it was something he was doing but once Namjoon left him, he came to the realization that no matter how much he cared for someone, he never let them get close enough. At some point, he always started to push them away; When he started to depend on them, started to feel too comfortable. He thought perhaps it was because he was used to losing everything that mattered to him.

His friends were important to him. He'd kill for them, die for them. And yet the only ones who knew anything about his past in detail were Namjoon and Jimin. And with Namjoon, that was only because he lived with the man for almost two years and when you live with someone, things just come out sometimes. They told each other their darkest secrets, their fears, their dreams. Yoongi never allowed himself to get so close to someone before, even the people he dated he kept at arms length emotionally. But Kim Namjoon had been different. He was someone Yoongi had been waiting for. A friend with open arms and no judgment just waiting to let him in. And Yoongi took that step.

Then Namjoon left.

No one could have been prepared for how that effected Yoongi. Especially Yoongi. He had been happy for his friend. Seokjin was a good guy, a great one, and the two of them clicked really well. Seokjin took care of Namjoon's clumsy ass and though Yoongi wasn't sure what Seokjin was getting out of the relationship, the brunet always seemed so happy to be around Namjoon. It was a good match, Yoongi thought and it only seemed inevitable that they'd move in together. Yoongi approved. He wanted that for his friend, his best friend; he knew how much it meant to him.

But Yoongi wasn't prepared for how much things would change between them. It was subtle. Something he didn't notice until it was too late. No longer having late night conversations about stupid things, no longer having someone waiting for him when he got home. It was hard. That was why he moved to a new apartment. A one room place large enough for just himself. He thought it would help when in the end, it only made him realize how much he missed having someone around.

That was when Jimin came into the picture.

Jimin had always been around. A good friend that never failed to brighten things around them, like Hoseok. The two of them together were like a burst of sunshine that never failed to brighten everyone's mood. And Yoongi found himself clinging just a bit to that sunshine.

Letting Jimin in had been natural. So natural in fact that Yoongi didn't even realize how deep he was in until it was too late.

Jimin had a smile that made one want to tell their deepest secrets to. A warm honest face that promised to never hurt. And Jimin was exactly that. What one saw, is what one got with Park Jimin and before Yoongi knew it, he had another best friend on his hands. Though this one was much more involved; much more active in his life.

As far as Yoongi was concerned, he had yet to lose a bit of Jimin like he had with Namjoon. But he thought it would happen with time, though Jimin swore it never would.

Letting someone in was hard for him but having someone like Jimin, having his friends, was important to him. Without them, Yoongi was certain he wouldn't be where he was. He wasn't even sure he'd exist anymore without them.

But having friends, and developing something more, were two different things.

Yoongi had dated. He'd been in relationships though he'd never been in love. He never allowed himself that. It was a certain type of peeling back scars and opening himself up that Yoongi just wasn't ready for. And that effected his romantic relationships. When he closed himself off, it became obvious and no matter how hard someone knocked, they just couldn't get in until eventually, they gave up and walked away.

Yoongi left a trail of broken relationships in his wake and ever since Namjoon left over a year ago, he didn't dare try relationships again. He had his friends, his work, his passions, and that was enough for him at the time.

Or so he thought.

Yoongi let out a puff of air and blinked a few times to try and clear his blurred vision, lifting one hand to rub at his eyes. His neck felt a little stiff, his fingertips were tingling with a type of numbness that came from sitting in the same position too long, hovered over the keyboard. There was a light throb in his lower back as well from being hunched over for far too long and as he blinked, he saw it was past midnight.

The track he had been working on wasn't all that important. There was no deadline. It was just something he wanted to do and for the past twenty minutes or so, he'd been staring off into space in thought. He should sleep but his chest felt heavy and he wasn't sure if he could face whatever dreams he might have that night.

Jimin and Taehyung had left awhile ago, he was certain. He recalled Jimin coming in at some point to bid him goodbye but Yoongi had been too wrapped up in his work to realize what time it was. Jungkook was probably asleep which was a good thing. The boy had the morning shift at the bakery and he needed his sleep.

Yoongi groaned faintly, a soft rumble in the back of his throat and tipped forward until his forehead made contact with the edge of his desk.

Jungkook.

That fucking kid.

It'd been a week, maybe a little more than that, since he moved in with Yoongi and that was such a short period of time for Yoongi to get so comfortable with someone. It should have been alarming but if anything, Yoongi was just grateful to not be alone.

Jungkook was nice. He was quiet unlike most of Yoongi's other friends and the kid kept to himself for the most part. He always greeted Yoongi when he came home but he gave the elder his space when he needed it. Sometimes, it was like Jungkook could just read his moods without being told and knew exactly how to react. Like the time Yoongi came home two days ago with a migraine and a black cloud over his head.

Jungkook didn't even need to ask. He just made Yoongi some tea, made the elder curl up on the couch and they spent the rest of the night in relative silence while Yoongi napped on and off. It was pleasant, he had to admit. He was being taken care of without having to ask and as alarming as that should have been, Yoongi couldn't find it within himself to care.

He vaguely recalled the conversation he overheard hours ago and that heavy feeling in his chest settled a little lower, between his lungs.

Jimin had been implying something. Something that he'd hinted at in passing conversation with Yoongi and the blond understood why.

None of his friends questioned when Yoongi took in a kid from the streets because Yoongi had once been a kid from the streets himself. They understood on some level.

But taking a kid in and getting attached, were two different things.

Jimin knew. Jimin saw, because the asshole saw everything. He saw what was happening to Yoongi, he saw what Jungkook being around did to the elder.

Yoongi didn't want to think about it. He tried his best not to. But Jungkook's words about ruining what they had rang in his head and it took a lot of effort for Yoongi not to bash his head into the desk.

What the fuck was he doing?

A soft knock made him flinch followed by a softly mumbled, "Hyung?"

Yoongi blinked his eyes open and sat up straight, glancing over his shoulder to see Jungkook hovering in the doorway to his bedroom, a blanket wrapped around his body and his black hair a mess atop his head. Yoongi tugged his headphones off, not like anything was playing anyway, and twisted his chair around to face the youth.

"What's up? What are you doing awake?"

Jungkook glanced around his bedroom shyly as he shrugged, rubbing his cheek with the corner of the blanket. "I can't sleep."

"Is it too cold out there?" Yoongi didn't think about how cold the living room got in the winter.

Jungkook shook his head and took a few tentative steps into the room. "Can I stay in here a little bit while you work? I'll be quiet."

Yoongi was used to having people around him while he worked so he nodded and the soft smile that curled to those plump lips made something blazing hot pierce through his side. Jungkook shuffled over to Yoongi's bed and settled down at the end of it, rubbing at his eyes while trying to hold back a yawn.

Yoongi watched him a moment longer before turning back to his computer, returning his headphones over his ears. He hoped the dim light in his room was enough to hide that fact that his cheeks were blazing. It wasn't the first time Jungkook hung out in his bedroom while he worked and it probably wouldn't be the last. But there was something about how Yoongi had just been thinking about the boy that made him feel a little awkward.

It was past midnight and though Yoongi didn't have class the next day until after noon, he thought trying to sleep might help the slight throbbing in his head. He sat there a few moments more, staring off into space before he jolted himself back to reality. If he made some tea maybe that would get Jungkook to go back to sleep, and help him fall asleep, so Yoongi saved his work and shut down his computer, tucking his precious headphones away.

When he got to his feet and turned around, his heart jumped into his throat and stayed there, cutting off his air supply and freezing his bones.

Jungkook was curled up on one side of his large bed, blanket tucked all around him and head resting on one of the few throw pillows Yoongi had on his bed. He looked peaceful, the dim light from Yoongi's desk lamp casting shadows over his pale face. He was sleeping soundly, the rise and fall of his chest proving he was in deep and Yoongi didn't have the heart to wake him. Maybe Jungkook just didn't want to sleep alone for once and really, Yoongi couldn't blame him.

After a moment of debate, Yoongi flicked off his desk lamp, settling them in darkness. His black-out curtains allowed no amount of light to slip in and if it wasn't for his open bedroom door, the entire room would be pitch black. Once his eyes adjusted, Yoongi went off for the bathroom to ease his bladder, brush his teeth, wash his face and change into loose clothing to sleep in.

When he returned, Jungkook was still fast asleep. Something warm settled heavy on Yoongi's chest and this time, it wasn't all that unpleasant. His heart was fluttering like the wings of a hummingbird but it didn't stop him from crawling into the bed beside the boy, leaving enough space between them for another person. Since Jungkook was laying on the blankets, Yoongi didn't bother with them and instead pulled a different blanket from his closet over his body, tucking his pillow under his head so he was level with Jungkook.

The boy had such a beautiful face. Yoongi wondered if anything happened to him because of it while he was out on the streets. He could remember how many offers he got when he was on the streets and his pale, round face was nothing compared to Jungkook's. The boy had a face for TV. He could be an idol with those pouty lips, round nose, large beautiful eyes and sharp jawline. But instead, he was just a lost boy sleeping on Yoongi's couch because he had no where else to go. And Yoongi was happy to help.

His fingers, still a little tingly and numb, ached to reach out to him, to brush a few strands of dark hair that had fallen over his brow but he curled his hands into fists against his chest to keep himself from doing so. Jungkook was beautiful, it was a fact. But he was also a mystery. Something Yoongi wasn't sure he would ever figure out and that was okay. Jungkook had his secrets and he was allowed to keep them. He had earned Yoongi's trust, and vice verse, and the elder was sure that whatever past may haunt the boy, it wasn't something that would cause problems for them.

Jungkook was warm, and welcoming, and though he was a little quiet and perhaps a little strange, he was something Yoongi never knew he needed. He was someone to come home to. Someone to look forward to. A delighted smile that never failed to make his heart skip just a little bit. Yoongi should have known the moment he laid eyes on that boy, the moment he learned his name, that he was doomed.

Everyone else knew it.

Jimin sure as hell knew it.

Yoongi crinkled his nose and forced his eyes away from that peaceful sleeping face, his heart throbbing like a vein in his throat.

He was so fucking screwed.

* * *

Yoongi wasn't willing to say he hated winter but fuck did the cold really get to him. It was too early in the season for snow but with how bitter cold the nights had been lately, he wouldn't be all that surprised to wake up one morning to a white powder covered city. He'd much rather not, though. As pretty as snow was, it was also a fucking mess. It would make getting to and from campus a fucking disaster though they were on their winter break, Yoongi still had a need for his studio space on campus.

Jihoon and Mingyu were gone for the vacation, back in Busan along with Jimin and Taehyung. Hoseok was in Kwangju and Namjoon had gone back to Ilsan for the first half of his break. Yoongi had plans to return to Daegu for the break but then Jungkook came into his life and he wasn't sure what to do about all of that. So he chose to stay in Seoul instead. His parents understood. He was busy college kid, trying to make it on his own and though his mother had sounded disappointed on the phone, it was the kind of disappointment Yoongi could handle. He didn't want to think about the disappointment he would get if he showed up with Jungkook.

Yoongi spent most of his day on campus, running a few errands for his Music Theory professor because he needed the extra credit and then tweaking a few tracks in his studio because the sound quality was just better there than the stuff he had at home. All in all, it was nearing dinner time when he finally climbed onto the city bus and he stopped at the nice little Thai place on the corner to pick up some dinner.

Jungkook had been texting him all day, on and off. The bakery was closed for the holidays and the kid was getting a little bored just lounging around the apartment. Luckily, Yoongi didn't plan on going back to campus until classes started up again so Jungkook wouldn't be too bored or alone anymore. There was a Marvel movie marathon waiting for them and Yoongi was looking forward to curling up and doing absolutely nothing for the rest of his winter vacation.

And the best part - he wouldn't be alone.

When Yoongi shuffled in through the apartment door, arms full of take out bags, Jungkook was sprawled out all over the couch, his head hanging over the edge of one of the arms, looking absolutely bored out of his mind. He perked up when Yoongi pushed the door shut and hurried over to take the bags from Yoongi's arms.

"Welcome home, hyung." Jungkook greeted with a soft smile, sounding a little nasally, before he shuffled off into the kitchen, plopping the bags into the counter so he could dig through them.

Yoongi snorted softly, not surprised that the kid was more interested in the food than anything else. He could eat like a cow sometimes, like his stomach was a bottomless pit and Yoongi chalked it up to him still being young and growing. After kicking off his shoes and hanging up his coat and scarf, Yoongi followed the boy into the kitchen and saw Jungkook had lined everything up on the counter for them to dig through.

"Are you feeling okay?" Yoongi asked, taking note of the red tint to Jungkook's nose.

The youth shrugged and eyed the small selection of food. "I'll be fine. Thanks for dinner, hyung."

Yoongi hummed, side eyeing the boy before deciding that Jungkook would probably be fine. He always was after all. They made small talk about their day as they gathered food on plates and ended up in the living room where Jungkook started up the first of their movie marathon.

Yoongi commandeered one end of the couch, curling up with his feet tucked under him and his plate resting on the arm. The apartment was warm, a nice contrast to the bitter cold outside and Jungkook made himself comfortable at the other end of the couch, flashing Yoongi a grin once they were both settled down. It was warm, nice, and when the movie started, they fell into comfortable silence, focusing on their food and the characters flicking on the screen.

* * *

"You get up from this bed and I'll fucking wack you with a shoe." Yoongi grumbled under his breath, his brow furrowed as he tucked the blanket under Jungkook's chin.

The boy's nose crunched up and he tried to sniff, failing if only because his nose was completely stuffed. He wiggled from side to side, getting comfortable in Yoongi's bed before he made a soft noise that sounded like a whine. "I'm fine, hyung."

"Like fucking hell you are." Yoongi brushed Jungkook's bangs away from his forehead to press his palm against that warm skin, waiting a few seconds. Jungkook leaned into his touch, mumbling about how nice his cool skin felt and Yoongi just rolled his eyes. "I think you have a fever."

"I don't get sick, hyung." Jungkook whined, a sound Yoongi wasn't used to hearing from the youth.

"Well, you are. I'm calling Jin-hyung."

Another whine and a hand snatching out from under the covers to grab Yoongi's wrist. "Don't go."

Heat flared up Yoongi's neck at the way those golden brown eyes were staring at him and oh wow, the boy was pouting. Yoongi snorted a laugh and gave Jungkook's head a gentle pat. "I'll be right back. We don't even have any medicine here and Jin-hyung's a nurse. He'll know what to do."

Something strange flickered across Jungkook's face but it was quickly hidden as the boy pulled the covers over his head. "No nurses. No doctors."

Yoongi smiled fondly and patted at the bundle of blankets and Jungkook. "You'll be fine. Probably just some medicine to bring down your fever and a lot of rest. Jin-hyung's soup is the best though, that's why I'm calling him."

Jungkook whined some more and Yoongi did his best not to laugh. The youth turned even more into a kid when he was sick it seemed and he tried not to think about how utterly adorable that was. He promised to be right back while patting what he thought was Jungkook's head before leaving the boy alone in search of his phone.

All Yoongi had to say was Jungkook might have a cold and Seokjin was quickly making promises to be there as soon as he possibly could. They could always count on Seokjin to be there when they needed him. He had the comfort of a mother sometimes and though he liked to nag them, it was always because he cared about their well being. And it wasn't like Yoongi wasn't going to benefit. Seokjin's soup was the best soup around and he was looking forward to a little taste of it.

When Yoongi returned to the bedroom, Jungkook was still curled up under the blankets and from the sound of it, he was sleeping. So Yoongi left him to sleep, curling up on the couch to play with his phone until Seokjin arrived less than thirty minutes later. The brunet came bustling into the apartment with his arms full and a black mask over his nose and mouth, to keep out the germs, he said.

With Seokjin there, Jungkook was bound to recover in no time.

* * *

The holidays never really meant that much to Yoongi. Maybe when he was younger they did but for the majority of his adult life, the holidays were just another day for him. Last year he had gone home to Daegu because his mother practically begged him to and he only agreed because he was tired of hearing how sorry she was. This year, he was in Seoul but he wasn't alone.

Jungkook was recovering from his cold rather nicely thanks to Seokjin and his special soup. The boy slept more often than not, curled up in Yoongi's bed while the elder took the couch. It was cold in the living room and it wasn't all that much of a surprise that Jungkook managed to get a cold while sleeping out there. Yoongi was starting to think it was time for them to share his bed otherwise, they would both continue to get sick. Or, he could by a floor heater for the living room. Whichever Jungkook was more comfortable with.

Honestly, sharing a bed was dangerous. They did it once, that night a few weeks ago when Jungkook passed out on Yoongi's bed and the elder didn't have the heart to wake him. It was a little awkward when they woke up together the next morning but then, it just wasn't anymore. Like on some level they understood each other and sharing the bed simply was sharing the bed.

But for Yoongi, it was a dangerous area.

It wasn't like he'd never shared a bed with someone before. There were plenty of nights he passed out in Namjoon's bed, or Namjoon in his when they were living together. And after Yoongi moved into his current apartment, Jimin came over constantly to stay the night just to make sure Yoongi wasn't feeling too lonely. Sometimes, Taehyung came along and he had a bed full of annoying but warm idiots.

But this was Jungkook.

Sweet, cute, beautiful Jungkook who for some reason seemed to understand how Yoongi worked without being told and there was _something_ between them. Something that was lingering on the edge of wonderful and dangerous. Something Yoongi wasn't ready to poke at yet.

The sound of feet shuffling against the floor caught Yoongi's attention and he glanced away from the flickering TV that he wasn't even paying attention to just as Jungkook stepped out of the bedroom. Jungkook's dark hair was an absolutely bird's nest atop his head, a few strands falling into his eyes and his cheeks were flushed with color from his sickness. He was wrapped up in Yoongi's favorite red and black blanket, the end of it trailing on the floor and for someone a head taller than Yoongi, he looked so fucking small and fluffy in that very instant.

"Hey." Yoongi spoke softly, uncurling from his position in the corner of the couch to plant his feet on the floor. "What are you doing up?"

Jungkook sniffed, rubbing his nose with the blanket as he stared at Yoongi blearily. "You left."

Yoongi perked a brow. "I left hours ago."

"Yeah well." Jungkook didn't finish whatever he was going to say and instead shuffled over to the couch, plopping down beside Yoongi, jostling the elder a bit. He tugged at the blanket wrapped around him a little bit until he was comfortable, leaving a hair of space between the two of them. "I don't feel good."

Yoongi peered at his face, noticing the flush of color to his nose and cheeks, his chapped lips and dazed eyes. "You should take your medicine then." He pointed out as he moved to his feet, going into the kitchen to pop out a few pills Seokjin instructed the boy to take. Jungkook was grumbled about how much he hated medicine when Yoongi came back to his side, offering a glass of water and the pills. When he didn't take them, Yoongi sighed. "Don't make me force you."

Jungkook shot him a glare but peeled out of his blanket so he could grab the pills and glass, downing everything in only a few seconds with a grimace on his face. "Being sick sucks."

Yoongi rolled his eyes as he took the glass from him, setting it on the coffee table as Jungkook curled back up in his blanket. "You're such a baby when you're sick. Worse than Jimin, and he whines about wanting cuddles the entire time."

"I never get sick." Jungkook argued, pursing his lips slightly in what appeared to be a pout as he leaned back into the couch, bringing his legs up with him.

"Everyone gets sick at some point." Yoongi shrugged, turning his attention back to the TV playing some old late night variety show he wasn't even paying attention to.

Jungkook whined, a nasally sound and the next thing Yoongi knew, he had a lap full of attractive sick teenager and his heart was on his tongue. "You give Jimin cuddles when he's sick? I want them."

Yoongi blinked in surprise, staring down at Jungkook like he'd lost his fucking mind but the boy's eyes were closed, the light from the television flickering across his face, making him look even more angelic than he usually did. The elder's hands hovered in the air above him for a moment, his heart throbbing and oh, fucking hell, this wasn't good.

"I give Jimin a good shove in the face and throw him at Taehyung." Yoongi mumbled after swallowing his heart back down. It wasn't a lie really. It was Taehyung job to deal with a sick, whining Jimin because Jimin rarely got sick but when he did, he fought it until he couldn't move anymore and then he just whined the entire time. Yoongi didn't have the patience for it. Though, he might have given in to those wide brown eyes because fuck if he didn't have a weakness for cute puppy dog eyes.

"You're so cold, hyung." Jungkook mumbled, one corner of his mouth curled up into a smile as he made Yoongi's thigh his pillow, tucking the blanket under his chin as he curled up on his side.

"Figured you were used to that." Slowly, he lowered his hand to rest on Jungkook's shoulder, his fingers curling around the blanket.

"You just show how you care differently than others." The youth mumbled sleepily, nuzzling his cheek against Yoongi's thigh and thoroughly making the elder's heart stop. "It's okay to let people know you care though."

"You're spouting nonsense now." Yoongi murmured, his hand shaking just slightly as it dug into soft strands of black.

Jungkook hummed softly, shrugging one shoulder. "Thanks for everything, hyung. Really." His voice was so soft and if it weren't for the fact that Yoongi was paying extra close attention to the boy, he might have missed his words.

"Go to sleep, Jungkook."

The boy didn't fight his words and within minutes, he was breathing deeply, lost in dreamland. Yoongi's heart was thumping much too loud in the quiet of the apartment and as he slipped his fingers through Jungkook's hair, petting gently, he couldn't help but wonder how the hell he let this happen. How did he manage to become so attached to a kid that on a rational level he still knew so very little about. They weren't strangers anymore. They were friends; roommates. Yoongi could read Jungkook's moods as easily as Jungkook could read his and wasn't that all just a little bit strange for only knowing someone less than a month? Yoongi couldn't remember when he started opening up to his other friends but he was sure it took a hell of a lot longer than just a month.

He felt he should have been concerned. Opening himself up made him vulnerable and that was the last thing Yoongi ever allowed himself to be.

But Jungkook looked peaceful, and happy, curled up in his lap and as much as Yoongi wanted to fight it, he couldn't find an ounce of fight within him. It was dangerous, the two of them. It was a fine line between being what they were and what they could be. And Jungkook was right. Ruining what they had, something that was special and didn't need words to define, would be the end of them.

So Yoongi would do what he was best at. Keep his feelings to himself and savor what he was lucky enough to have. A friend, a companion, a warmth to share when the rest of the world was cold.

At least until he figured something else out.

* * *

"At what point do you realize your life is spiraling out of your control?"

Yoongi's mumbled words made Namjoon's head snap up from where he'd been staring into his own coffee cup, his eyes widening slightly as he perked a brow. Yoongi was currently focused on some spot on the table and though the cafe around them was warm and relatively quiet, Namjoon was looking at Yoongi like he just shouted for the whole world to hear.

"Uh, what?" Namjoon laughed softly, rubbing at the side of his neck as he ducked down to try and catch Yoongi's gaze. "Need a little backstory here, Yoongs."

Yoongi's brow furrowed and he grumbled under his breath, lifting up from where his chin rested on the table to fold his arms, so he could rest on them instead. His coffee cup was untouched in front of him and Yoongi found himself glaring at it because it wasn't giving him the answers he needed.

It was midday in the middle of the week and the first time the two of them managed to meet up after Namjoon returned from Ilsan. The plan was to catch up, which they did, but Yoongi's thoughts were all over the place and there was a bunny toothed asshole to blame for it. Said asshole was out and about the city with Jimin, Hoseok and Taehyung and Yoongi really didn't want to have this conversation in a public place but what other choice did he have? Namjoon was supposed to pick up Seokjin from work in an hour so there was no point in going back to one of their apartments.

"You're the philosophical one here." Yoongi pointed out, finally raising his eyes to meet Namjoon's confused expression.

The silver-blond searched Yoongi's face for a moment, his eyes cascading over the curve of his cheek before something like understanding settled on his face and then he was leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. "I have three guess. Tell me which one is right." Yoongi nodded, used to this little game by now. "You're stuck on a track." He raised one finger, an eyebrow perked and when Yoongi gave a little shake of his head, fluffing his blond hair slightly, the younger continued, popping up another finger, "Something happened with your parents." Another shake of his head, another finger popping up. "You met someone."

Namjoon's stare was slightly intense and when Yoongi glanced away, he knew he had given the younger his answer. Namjoon hummed in that thoughtful way of his and took a few seconds to sip from his paper coffee cup, tapping his fingers against the solid surface of the table.

"I'd ask for context but that's like pulling teeth." Namjoon mused, the corner's of his lips quirking up when Yoongi cut his eyes at him. "Is it Jimin? Cause fuck, Yoongs, I saw that coming a mile away."

Yoongi's breath caught in his throat and he sat up quickly, looking a little bewildered. "The fuck? _No_ , it's not Jimin."

The knowing smile that came across those lips made Yoongi want to punch him. "So it _is_ someone."

"I fucking hate you Kim Namjoon."

Namjoon just continued to smile, showing off his dimples as he leaned on the table. "Just talk to me, Yoongs. Tell me what's up."

Yoongi sighed heavily and glanced to the slightly dirty floor, curling his hands together in his lap to play with his fingers, a nervous habit he knew Namjoon recognized. "I don't know how it happened, Joonie and part of me wants it to stop but the other part is all fuck yeah about it."

Namjoon crinkled his nose. "Remember that conversation we had, about you not letting yourself be vulnerable?"

Yoongi bit into his lower lip. "Yeah?"

"Is this like that? Because, shit Yoongs, it's okay you know."

His shoulders slumped and he folded his arms on the table again to rest his head in, like he didn't have the energy to keep himself upright anymore. Everything in his head, his chest, was just a big fucking mess and the only reason he brought it up with Namjoon was because the man had a way of getting his shit in order.

"I don't want to fuck it up."

Namjoon's expression softened at his whispered confession and a large hand landed on his head, brushing through strands of blond hair in a comforting manner. "You won't. Every problem you've had with relationships before was a choice, Yoongs. You chose to close yourself off. If you chose not to this time, I think it'll be okay."

"What if it isn't?"

"It's gotta be worth the risk." Namjoon mumbled, letting his hand slip free from Yoongi's hair to squeeze his shoulder. "That's something only you can figure out."

"I haven't... felt this comfortable with someone in a long time."

"Is it Jimin? Because fuck Yoongs that's a whole big pile of horse shit I don't think any of us want you getting into. I know he and Tae aren't official or anything but-"

"It's not Jimin." He sighed heavily, his brow furrowing at the idea. There wasn't anything wrong with Jimin, no, the kid was one of his best friends. But what Jimin and Taehyung had was special and it never even crossed Yoongi's mind to get in the middle of that.

"Oh." Namjoon sounded surprised, like he was completely expecting the source of Yoongi's problems to be Jimin when in fact, they were not. "Is it Hoseok? Cause that's a straight ladder I don't want you to climb."

Yoongi groaned and buried his head in his arms, wanting to knock his head against the table. "No."

"Well shit, Yoongs, if you just told me we wouldn't-"

"It's Jungkook."

The silence that fell around them was like a blanket and though Yoongi couldn't see Namjoon's face, he had a feeling the younger was staring at him like he just told Namjoon he was pregnant. He'd mumbled the name into the fabric of his hoodie but the silence was proof enough that Namjoon heard loud and fucking clear. Hell, the whole cafe probably heard knowing Yoongi's luck but there was still the soft chatter of other customers around them and the coffee machines on the other side of the room working. The world hadn't stopped though Yoongi had stopped breathing, a tight pressure forming in his chest.

"Okay, I'll be honest, I didn't fucking expect that."

"You think I did?" Yoongi snapped in slight frustration, sitting up suddenly and throwing his hands up in the air. Heat curled to his cheeks, giving his pale skin a bit of life he was usually lacking.

"Okay, just, hold on a sec." Namjoon _was_ looking at him like Yoongi told him he was pregnant, eyes as wide as could be and lips curled into a slight grimace. "When did this happen?"

"I don't know." Yoongi admitted, slumping in his chair. "It just happened."

Namjoon squinted for just a second. "Seokjin said there was something up with that kid. He's nice and all, and I know none of us said much but seriously Yoongs, it was a little weird that you just took him in like that. Jin thought there was something between the two of you."

Yoongi narrowed his eyes at his friend. "I just wanted to help, Joonie."

"And that was it?"

"I don't like what you're trying to imply."

"I'm not implying anything, Yoongs. I'm just..." He let out a puff of air and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm trying to understand. Jimin's been all up in bright smiles and shit since you took Jungkook in because apparently, you've been a hell of a lot happier. But I don't see that. You look miserable, hyung."

"Thanks." He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

Namjoon rolled his eyes. "Jimin spends more time with you than I do. What is he seeing, hm?"

"Fuck if I know."

"Are you just glad to have someone there when you get home or is it more than that? Cause I know you've been lonely but there's a difference between being happy to have a companion and... falling for someone."

It was something Yoongi had been trying to figure out for days now. He drug a hand through his hair, fingers catching on a few strands and he winced when they were tugged on. "I barely know the kid. Seriously. He won't open up about his past and yet, he's a fucking open book. All I know is that when he fucking smiles at me like there's no where else he'd rather be, I can't fucking _breathe_ , Joonie and it's driving me nuts."

"Yoongi." Namjoon's serious tone made his eyes snap to him, confusion curling through his expression. "You remember what you said to me when Jiyoung left you?"

Something hot and prickling curled up Yoongi's spine because he did remember. He had been drunk off his fucking ass, but he remembered.

Namjoon stilled for a second before leaning over the table, reaching across to grab Yoongi's hand and wrap his long fingers over it. "You swore you wouldn't let something special like that slip through your fingers again. And I'm no expert, and I sure as hell don't know what you're feeling, but if even for a second you think this thing with Jungkook, whatever the fuck it might be, is just a little bit special, don't you fucking let it go." A warm tingling sensation settled in Yoongi's chest as his throat went dry, his eyes wide as they focused on Namjoon's serious expression. "It's not supposed to be easy but if it's as special as it seems to be, it'll be worth it."

"What if he doesn't want it?" The question came out as a puff of breath, barely audible but spoke volumes for every fear Yoongi had swirling around in his head.

"That's just something you're going to have to figure out, Yoongi." Those warm tanned fingers squeezed his and in that moment, Yoongi was reminded exactly why Namjoon had always been, and always would be, his best friend.

* * *

The thing about Yoongi was once he made up his mind about something, it was almost impossible to change it. Sometimes it was a downfall and other times it was beneficial. Sometimes it was a slow gradual realization and other times, it happened instantly. It always depended on the subject of the matter. And in this case, it was a slow gradual realization that once the seed was planted, only needed time to grow.

Yoongi wasn't some high school kid and he certainly wasn't unaccustomed to having feelings for someone. But a crush was the last fucking thing he ever expected to have on anyone any time soon, let alone Jeon Jungkook. And once the thought was planted, it only grew. He couldn't completely ignore the nagging feeling at the back of his mind reminding him how attractive Jungkook was, or how nice it was to have the kid around. How great it was that Jungkook just knew how he was feeling without being told and acted accordingly. How nice it was to have Jungkook curl up in his bed sometimes late at night when it was too cold to sleep in the living room and Yoongi enjoyed the company while he worked. How easily his heart thumped warmly when he curled up beside the boy, never touching but always looking, falling asleep to the soft rhythmic breathing of one Jeon Jungkook.

He was screwed.

There was still plenty about Jungkook that Yoongi didn't know, and vice verse, but the pleasant thing seemed to be that they didn't need to know everything about one another to fit together. Whenever they were home together, they just seemed to migrate toward one another. Like there was an invisible gravity bringing them closer and closer until at some point, Yoongi was curled up against Jungkook's side like it was the most natural fucking thing in the world. And for how harshly Jungkook had whispered to Jimin about not wanting to ruin what they had, he never fought how they fell into one another. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it, savor it even.

It was something Yoongi would have to bring up eventually but honestly, he just wanted to enjoy whatever was going on between them while he could. He didn't have the urge to close himself off or lock himself away like he usually did, so he savored it. He let it be; to grow on its own and see what would become of it. It was a hell of a lot easier than actually facing the reality looming over their heads anyway.

* * *

"It's not too... soft is it?" Jihoon's voice was light as he watched Yoongi, gauging his face for any sort of reaction. "I keep thinking it's too soft."

Yoongi narrowed his eyes in thought as he listen to the haunting melody playing through the headphones. "As in the beat is too soft?"

"No, the over all feeling." Jihoon's lips pouted out slightly as he folded his arms on the desk, propping his chin up on them as he continued to watch Yoongi. "Our composing professor told me I make soft, warm, bubbly music. I wanted to do something different."

"That's your style, Jihoon. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Perhaps." He hummed softly, bushing muted pink bangs away from his brow. "But you're versatile. I'm trying to be as well."

"You can keep your style and still do different things." Yoongi tugged the headphones to rest around his neck, propping his chin in his hand as he played with the mouse of the computer to fix something. "The important thing is knowing who you are as a composer and producer. Once you have confidence in that, no one can fight you on it. We have to be flexible, but we also have to know what's good and what isn't. You have a perfect ear, Jihoon. Why else would I use a freshman to double check my shit."

Yoongi knew without looking that Jihoon was flushing slightly, giving him one of those soft smiles that made cute little dimples. It wasn't all that rare when Yoongi complimented the kid but Jihoon always took it to heart. "So it's not too soft?"

"You tell me." Yoongi pulled the headphones off his neck and passed them back to their owner. "Trust your instincts."

Jihoon nodded as he slipped the headphones back over his head, adjusting the snapback covering most of his hair. "It's pretty good."

Yoongi nodded in agreement. "Get Taehyung's voice in on that and I think you've got a hit on your hands. I'll ask him if you want. Almost guaranteed he'll be there when I get home. Jungkook said something about dance practice."

Jihoon hummed. "That'd be pretty great."

And so, the two of them went back to work, Jihoon on his track that would be graded and Yoongi on an essay that was due at the end of the week. He'd thought about going home but it was still early afternoon and Jihoon had asked for his help so he didn't see a reason not to stay. Jungkook wasn't home anyway, if his texts about Jimin and Taehyung acting like idiots meant anything. And it was the first Yoongi was seeing of Jihoon since the boy returned from Busan; the winter break over. Mingyu was no where to be seen but Yoongi thought bringing it up might cause a little tension in their otherwise pleasant atmosphere.

"Food delivery!" Ah, speak of the devil.

They both glanced up when the door to the studio opened and Mingyu's happy voice entered the room. Yoongi didn't miss the way Jihoon's eyes narrowed slightly and he wondered what the hell was going on between the two of them. Mingyu didn't seem phased however as he gently kicked the door shut behind him, holding up the plastic bag like a peace offering.

"Seokjin-hyung stopped me on my way here and demanded I bring this." Mingyu explained, his lips curled up to show off fangs that were a little more pointed than most people's.

"I was wondering where you were." Yoongi pondered aloud, watching as Mingyu stepped between them to place the bag on the desk.

"I had stuff to do." Mingyu said with a shrug as he started to dig through the bag, pulling out four boxed lunches and Yoongi just knew one of those was meant for Jungkook. "Jihoonie-hyung's being a sour puss about it."

"Shut your face." Jihoon mumbled, without any heat to it and took the box Mingyu offered him.

"You're cute when you pout, you know." Mingyu stated offhandedly as he held out a box for Yoongi to take, his eyes completely focused on his boyfriend who was, indeed, pouting just a bit.

Yoongi shook his head at the two of them and moved to take the box from Mingyu only to freeze in the process, something sharp and cold curling up his spine.

It was freezing outside. Yoongi knew that because he came to campus wrapped up in a hoodie, a leather jacket, a scarf and a beanie and he still almost froze to death. And yet, Mingyu was wearing just a long sleeved shirt that he had pushed the sleeves up to his elbows. That wasn't that strange, considering how weird the kid was anyway, but what _was_ strange was the pale scar bluntly obvious against his naturally tanned skin.

Yoongi reached out without thinking, long pale fingers wrapping around Mingyu's wrist and thoroughly surprising the younger. But Yoongi's eyes were glued to the scar on his forearm, his fingers tight around his wrist so he couldn't pull away. A silence fell over them and Mingyu's fingers tensed as Yoongi eyed the scar, seeing how it curved around like a crescent, broke on each end, and then curled around again.

A bite mark.

It was a bite mark.

Identical to the one on Jungkook's shoulder.

And Yoongi knew that mark, fuck he would know that mark anywhere as often as he saw it on Jungkook. Mingyu's skin was darker, making the scar stand out a lot more than it did on Jungkook but the shape was identical. Yoongi saw that scar every time Jungkook walked around the house in a tank top, or shirtless cause he was a tempting little brat when he wanted to be. Yoongi could remember the first time he saw that fucking scar, bleeding and open.

"Hyung." Jihoon's voice was soft, eerily so, as his elegant fingers wrapped around Yoongi's hand on Mingyu's wrist.

As hot as Mingyu's skin was against his palm, Jihoon's was a strikingly cold contrast. Yoongi flinched back in surprise, releasing Mingyu's wrist and pulled his hand back like he'd been burned. They were both watching him now, standing side by side, with unreadable expressions on their faces. He was used to seeing Jihoon look blank but that expression didn't suit Mingyu at all.

"Where did you get that?" He found himself asking because it was the only thing on the tip of his tongue, his heart pounding in his throat.

Mingyu glanced at Jihoon, as if he was asking permission but the pink haired boy's eyes were locked on Yoongi, like he was just _waiting_ for Yoongi to say something. For someone so small, he sure as fuck could be intimidating.

"Jungkook has the same scar."

They were just words but the effect they had was instant. Mingyu relaxed and Jihoon let out sigh, rubbing the heel of his palm against his cheek before he slinked off to sit back down. Confused, Yoongi glanced between them, waiting for someone to say something but Mingyu just collapsed onto the small couch behind them, watching Jihoon like he too was waiting for something to happen.

"Tell him." Jihoon finally said after a few moments of silence, crinkling his nose as he tugged off the lid of the lunch box to dig into his food.

Yoongi's eyes shifted to Mingyu and the tall asshole sunk into his seat a little bit, offering Yoongi a shy smile that showed off a fang.

"It's kind of complicated. And, you might not believe me."

"You'd be surprised what I can believe."

Mingyu pursed his lips together before he nodded. "Jungkook... I don't know if I know Jungkook. What's he look like?"

Yoongi narrowed his eyes in confusion but answered the question anyway. "Tall, like you, bulkier though. Black hair, large eyes, bunny teeth."

Jihoon dropped his chopsticks, making a soft cluttering sound that made Yoongi glance at him. But his face was even, not telling a single thing and Yoongi wished he had the ability to pull off a blank look like that.

"Oh." Mingyu hummed, glancing at the ceiling. "Smells like apples?"

"Why the fuck do you know that?"

"Cause you smell like apples lately." Mingyu explained innocently enough, tilting his head at Yoongi like a puppy. "But I know him. Or rather, know _of_ him. I don't think he likes me much."

"Because you're too excitable." Jihoon mumbled, stuffing a bit of kimchi into his mouth.

Mingyu looked like he wanted to pout but he just shrugged instead. "He's different than me. Naturally born. Why does he have a scar though?" His fingers trailed over his own scar, following the outline though his eyes never left Yoongi's face.

Yoongi was beyond confused but he knew the best way to get answers was to give them and Mingyu defiantly had answers. They both did. They knew something he didn't and fuck did he really want to know.

"I don't know. He won't talk about it. I told you, I found him on the streets. In that park," Yoongi turned to Jihoon, flicking a hand at him, "that I found you wondering around in."

Mingyu sat up suddenly, his eyes wide and his lips parted. Jihoon tensed up to the point of his knuckles turning white around his chopsticks. "I didn't know that's where Jungkook came from. That place is dangerous, hyung."

"Yeah, yeah, I haven't been there in months." He brushed it off. "Not since I took Jungkook in."

Mingyu nibbled on his lower lip as he glanced at Jihoon, who nodded. "Hyung, the park isn't the dangerous part. It's what's in it. Or... was in it."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Jungkook is what made that park dangerous."

Yoongi was pretty sure his heart stopped beating at the dire seriousness in Mingyu's words.

* * *

There were a lot of weird things in the world that Yoongi brushed off as being crazy or none of his fucking business. Aliens for one. Taehyung loved musing about the existence of aliens and honestly, Yoongi just didn't give a fuck. Maybe they were out there and maybe they weren't. As long as they didn't probe his ass, it wasn't his damn business.

But _this._

This was fucking crazy.

An amount of crazy that was enough to get someone locked up in a padded room for the rest of their lives.

But it was real, and it was happening, and some fucking way Yoongi got himself tangled up in the mess.

Jungkook never gave him a reason not to trust him. Sure, Yoongi didn't know the dark stories of his past but who was Yoongi to fucking know? As long as Jungkook didn't steal shit, start shit, or cause shit, Yoongi was pretty damn content in letting the boy live with him; personal growing feelings aside.

But Mingyu and Jihoon _knew_ things.

They knew things because Mingyu was a part of it. A small part, according to them, but a part nonetheless. An innocent bystander tossed into the middle of a turf war that he was never meant to be a part of all because he was protecting his boyfriend. Mingyu wouldn't say who did it, claimed he didn't know who did it and that it certainly wasn't Jungkook, but someone did it and that someone meant a stranger which meant there were more of them out there.

Mingyu said he never met Jungkook, never even smelled him. Just knew that he existed and he was sure, Jungkook knew Mingyu existed too.

Jungkook was dangerous, so Mingyu and Jihoon claimed but if he was so dangerous, why was he bitten by the same thing that bit Mingyu? And if that was the case, what the bloody fuck was going on?!

Yoongi needed answers. Answers that Mingyu and Jihoon didn't have. Answers that Jungkook did.

Yoongi left the campus behind in a flurry of confusion and frustration, promising Jihoon he'd let him know as soon as he figured everything out. He had a lot to think about, too much to think about, but the only thing he could focus on was getting home and finding out if what Mingyu told him was true. That was all he wanted to know; all he needed to know.

He managed to work himself into a frenzy on the bus ride home, much too anxious and a little bit scared to handle anything else. So when he burst through the apartment door, he nearly gave Jungkook a heart attack, the boy actually falling out of the chair he was sitting at in the kitchen.

"Hyung!" Jungkook laughed as he hurried to his feet but once he saw Yoongi standing there in the doorway, chest heaving with each breath and eyes wide and wild, the smile faltered. "Hyung?"

The door slammed shut behind him and Yoongi crossed the apartment in a few steps, grabbing at the collar of Jungkook's shirt to tug the asshole down to eye-level. "Tell me it's not fucking true."

Jungkook blinked at his hissed words, his fingers going to wrap around Yoongi's shaking fists. "What's wrong, hyung? What's going on?"

The snarl that came from Yoongi's mouth was more frustration than anything and he managed to pin Jungkook against the counter, ignoring the heated flush that came to those round cheeks as his fingers tightened in his collar. "I fucking swear if you're playing with me Jeon Jungkook I will end you."

Jungkook's brow furrowed, his lips pulled down into a slight frown and he tightened the hold he had on Yoongi's wrists. "Hyung, I don't know what's going on."

"Did you kill them?"

It was a loaded question and as soon as it left Yoongi's mouth it was like the gun went off. Jungkook's innocent confusion expression shifted into something akin to cool indifference that Yoongi had never fucking seen grace that face before. "I don't know what you're talking about, hyung."

"Liar." Yoongi hissed and tore his hands away from Jungkook, taking a few steps back as he seethed slightly. Emotions were curling up around him and the longer Jungkook played innocent the angrier he was becoming. "You know Kim Mingyu, don't you? Because he sure as fuck knows you." He hissed his words and that slight confusion was back on Jungkook's face. The youth didn't dare move, just stayed there against the edge of the counter, his golden eyes locked on Yoongi and his lips pressed into a thin line. "Tall motherfucker, dark skin, silver hair." The flicker of realization was the only answer Yoongi would ever need. "Tell me it's not true!"

"Hyung, I think you need to breathe."

Jungkook's soft even voice pissed him off just that much more and Yoongi was back, slamming their bodies together as he grabbed Jungkook's collar again, pinning the youth against the edge of the counter. "You fucking tell me he's wrong, Jungkook. You tell me you're not a..."

"A wolf?" It was Jungkook's turn to be angry, fury flickering over his face as he grabbed Yoongi's hands and tore them away. "Fucking say it, Yoongi. Say it."

The elder let out a growl of frustration, prickling at the use of his name, his fingers curling into fists and they were close, so fucking close, Yoongi could _feel_ the heat radiating off of the younger. "Who the hell are you?"

There must have been something about his words, the defeated angry way he spoke them, because something flickered across Jungkook's face and he was reaching for Yoongi, his hands shaking slightly. "You know me, hyung."

"Do I?" Yoongi countered. "Answer the fucking question, Jungkook before I lose my shit."

Jungkook's anger smoothed away, his shoulders slumping as he grabbed the edge of the counter to hold himself up. His head dropped, blocking Yoongi's view of his face and for a second, it looked like the boy was shaking.

"Why would you believe me, anyway?"

"Why _wouldn't_ I?"

Jungkook inhaled sharply, his black bangs falling into his face so Yoongi couldn't see his expression. "I'm not a killer, hyung. I'm not. You don't have to believe me, but I swear I'm not."

Not once, in the month or so that Yoongi knew him, had Jungkook ever lied to him. Sure, he kept things from Yoongi, but he never blatantly lied to his face. He wasn't sure the boy was even capable of lying. And his words sounded true, softly, weakly, spoken, like he had nothing whatsoever to hide.

"You're a natural born, whatever the fuck that means." Yoongi recited what Mingyu told him. "I need you to tell me what the fuck is going on Jungkook."

"Nothing. Nothing is going on."

"Don't _lie_ to me!"

"What do you expect me to say, Yoongi?" Jungkook snapped his head up and Yoongi's heart dropped to his feet at the broken expression on that boy's face. "I don't know what's going on! I've been alone on the streets for as long as I can remember and suddenly, there are other wolves trying to kick me out of everything I know? Wolves that are _killing_. I don't know what I am, or what they are, or what any of this fucking means, okay? But for the first time I..." Jungkook paused, his face crumbling slightly as his eyes glossed over. Yoongi wasn't sure if they were tears or not, didn't have the chance to find out either because Jungkook covered his face in his hands. "I just wanted to be normal for once."

Yoongi's heart squeezed so tightly in his chest he thought it might burst from the pressure. He crossed the small space between them in two steps and when he grabbed onto Jungkook's shoulders gently, the youth didn't even flinch. "You're not... normal, Jungkook." He said it as gently as he could possibly manage and yes, Yoongi knew it was all fucking crazy, but Mingyu gave him proof, and now Jungkook had confirmed it. He had no choice but to believe it.

"But I can be. I have been... for you."

Yoongi gnawed on his bottom lip before he wrapped a hand around the back of Jungkook's neck and brought the boy closer until he was tucked against the side of his neck. Strong arms slipped around his waist, holding on to him just a little too tightly but Yoongi didn't complain.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Jungkook snorted a soft laugh into his shoulder. "Would you have believed me?"

"You were bleeding, Jungkook. I had a feeling something messed up was going on. I just... I didn't want to push you." Yoongi sighed heavily, the last bit of his blazing anger fizzling out. "What happened that night?"

Jungkook sniffed once and shifted to press his nose to the side of Yoongi's throat, restarting the blond's tight heart. "That park was the only place I felt safe. They didn't bother me there. I could always smell them, no matter where I was, but they left me alone." He inhaled a shaky breath. "Maybe it's because I'm different... because I've always been this... but I don't need what they need. Animals are enough for me but... it's the city and it's hard to find those kinds of things. I don't know if they've always been here but they kept squeezing me out of where I was making a home for myself. As soon as I started to feel comfortable, they were there pushing me out. And I'm only one wolf, I couldn't take on a pack."

Yoongi's breath hitched. "A pack?"

"Just a handful of them." Jungkook sniffed again. "That Mingyu is one of them."

"No, no he's not." Yoongi swallowed hard. "He was supposed to be. They turned him to be but, he's not. He's on his own."

"Oh." Jungkook mumbled, his arms tightening around Yoongi's waist. "They didn't want me in the park either."

"Where the fuck were you supposed to go?"

"I don't know. They were trying to chase me out that night... It's how I got bit. And then you found me and I was so scared they would hurt you and-" He cut himself off, nuzzling his way into Yoongi's throat. "You were the first person to ever be nice to me."

Now that, Yoongi found hard to believe. People who turned into wolves and killed people to eat them? Sure why not. But someone being mean to Jungkook? Like fucking hell. But Yoongi remembered what it was like to be alone on the streets. How people looked at him like he was worse than the filth on the bottom of their shoes. Yoongi had run away. Being on the streets was a choice he had made. But Jungkook... He never had a choice.

"Do you think you're safe here?"

"They're more animal than human. They wouldn't come here. As long as I stay out of the wooded areas in the city, I don't think they'll bother me."

"Okay then." Yoongi nodded once, suddenly feeling way too exhausted as he gave Jungkook's head a pat.

"Okay?" The youth pulled back slightly, just enough to meet Yoongi's eyes. "That's it? Just okay?"

"I don't know what to say." Yoongi admitted with a puff of air that was almost a laugh. "I might be in shock, honestly. I'm not sure Mingyu shoving his snout in my face was the smartest idea he's ever had."

Jungkook's eyes widened slightly. "He _what_?"

"He wanted to make sure I believed him. Can't argue with actual proof shoved in my face." Yoongi sighed heavily, shoving the beanie from his head to ruffle his hair. "But if you're expecting me to, I don't know, kick you out or something, that's not happening." Yoongi paused. "Unless you want to go."

Jungkook shook his head so fast his face was a blur before he buried it in Yoongi's neck again. "I want to stay."

"Cool. Good." Yoongi's throat went a little tight as he patted Jungkook's back awkwardly.

Jungkook pulled back after a moment, his hands lingering over Yoongi's hips and he was so close, Yoongi could smell the hint of apples that the boy always seemed to smell like. "Hyung?"

"Mmm?" Yoongi's eyes dropped to the lips unknowingly as Jungkook released the plump bottom lip he had been chewing on.

"You want me to be honest with you, right?"

"Yeah." His eyes jumped up to meet warm golden brown. "But like, I don't want you to tell me anything you're not ready too. As long as it doesn't fuck shit up, like say you really have killed someone, then that's shit we can work through together later."

Jungkook nodded slowly, just a slight jerk of his head and his eyes dropped down Yoongi's face, his breath warm against the elder's skin. They were much too close for this. Way too fucking close and Yoongi had a feeling that if he didn't pull away now, he was going to do something he might regret.

"It's kind of important." Jungkook mumbled and Yoongi didn't have the chance to pull away.

Warm, plush lips were suddenly against his own and every fucking thing Yoongi ever knew shot out the window. He was too dazed for this, too stuck on the tail end of an adrenaline rush to focus properly. But Jungkook's lips were warm and soft and gentle, just a slight press against his own as he waited for some type of reaction. And Yoongi was a little too stunned to give one so Jungkook pulled back after a few seconds, heat curled beautifully over his cheeks and ears and wow, his eyes really were golden.

Yoongi reacted without much thought. He let his heart lead while his brain took the backseat.

Sliding his hands over those warm cheeks, Yoongi pulled Jungkook's head down a little further and then their lips were together again, this time because Yoongi wanted it so. Jungkook practically melted into him, molding their lips together as he dropped a good portion of his weight on the elder, who stood his ground, slipping his arms around Jungkook's shoulders to keep him close.

It was an answer to a question he had never asked. Something that had seemed so important at one time but was in fact, so very simple.

Namjoon was right. There was something special, something Yoongi couldn't quite explain with words but it all made sense when Jungkook's lips pressed harder against his own. Somethings just didn't need words and the thing between Yoongi and Jungkook was the perfect example.

* * *

"And these lines are your vocals." Yoongi explained in a soft steady voice, pointing at the two lines on the computer screen he was referring to. "High and low. And then, the backing beat, the piano and this line is for everything else that doesn't exactly fit."

Jungkook hummed thoughtfully and when Yoongi glanced at him, he noticed the kid wasn't even looking at the screen but at him, his lips curled upwards into a cute smile as he leaned on the desk, his head resting in his folded arms. Yoongi crinkled his nose against the heat flushing up the back of his neck and turned his attention back to the computer screen.

"I thought you wanted to learn what I do."

"You're really cute when you talk about things you love." Jungkook teased softly, earning a smack in the shoulder that made him sit up and laugh.

"Have you always been this greasy? Fuck." Yoongi grumbled, rubbing a hand against his cheek in an attempt to hid his blush.

Jungkook made a happy little noise in the back of his throat and leaned across the small space between them to nuzzle against Yoongi's shoulder. "You asked for it being all cute and stuff."

"I will smack you again." Yoongi's threat held no power behind it, and Jungkook knew that, so he just grinned and planted a wet kiss to Yoongi's pink cheek that the elder grumbled at.

"It really is cool what you do though, Yoongi. I don't understand most of it, but it's really cool."

"If you don't understand then why did you want to come with me?"

"Cause it's what you do. And I'm learning about _you_."

Yoongi grimaced. "Grease."

"Slip and slide, hyung." Jungkook mused, giving Yoongi's head a pat before he leaned back in his chair. "All the way into your heart."

"Oh my _god_." Yoongi did not whine. He was a man and he did not whine. But he did drop his head into his hands because what the hell had he gotten himself into?

"You-" And when Jungkook abruptly cut off, Yoongi raised his head to see what was going on. The youth's expression had changed completely, from happy and playful to... something darker.

"Jungkook?" He ventured, reaching out to grab the youth's knee.

Jungkook's eyes narrowed slightly as they shifted to the closed studio door and if Yoongi didn't know any better, he'd say the hair on the back of Jungkook's neck was standing up. He could almost picture it, the way his sleek black wolf's fur prickled up right at the back of his neck, near his shoulder blades.

The door slowly opened before Yoongi could find out what was going on and he was slightly relieved to see Jihoon enter, although looking a little worse for wear. The hair around his face was curled from the way the beanie on his head smashed it down and he was dressed for the cold weather, pink sweater, form fitting jeans. He looked exhausted. Yoongi had almost forgotten he was supposed to met up with the youth to talk about his upcoming mid-tern assignment.

"Mingyu is pissing himself outside. You didn't tell us he'd be here." Those dark eyes shifted to Jungkook but Jihoon didn't look upset to see him, just a little miffed about something.

"It was a last minute thing." Yoongi explained, twisting in his seat until he could stand up, facing Jihoon. "He'll be good. Won't you, Jungkookie?"

The youth snapped his head up at the nickname, the tension in his shoulders easing out just slightly when Yoongi placed his hand on them. "What? Yeah, Sure."

Jihoon rubbed a hand against his cheek. "I'm not opposed to it. Honestly, Mingyu needs another wolf to play with because he drived me nuts sometimes but," something flickered across Jihoon's face that wasn't entirely that readable, "he's terrified of you."

Jungkook sat up a little straighter, his lips pulling into a slight pout. "Every other wolf I've met has been mean to me."

"Mingyu's a good kid." Yoongi gave his shoulder a pat. "He'll be good too, right Jihoon?"

"Hey, I make no promises." Jihoon held his hands up in defense, the over sized sleeves of his sweater slipping down his forearms. "Just don't kill him if he jumps you okay? He's excitable."

"Taehyung does that all the time." Jungkook said with a shrug.

"Kay. Cool. Great." Jihoon turned on his heel and left them, the studio door shutting automatically behind him.

"So that was Jihoon."

"I gathered." Jungkook laughed softly, moving to his feet beside Yoongi and crowded the elder with his tall ass. "This wasn't a bad idea actually. Me meeting Mingyu."

"You're almost the same age." Yoongi shoved at Jungkook's chest to get away from the youth, a hint of a smirk curling to his lips as he dropped back into his chair. "Just be quiet while Jihoon and I work."

Jungkook gave a fake salute as he plopped onto the couch, the smile on his face making Yoongi want to get up and kiss him for the hell of it. "Take me for lamb skewers after and I will."

Yoongi groaned, rolling his eyes as he rubbed his temple. "One time. I take him one time and never shuts up about it."

"They're here."

Yoongi sat up at Jungkook's whispered words and turned to the door just as it opened, Jihoon slipping inside with Mingyu trailing behind him. The taller looked a bit like a kicked puppy, his head lowered and his teeth nibbling at his bottom lip. He didn't dare look at Jungkook but when he caught Yoongi's gaze, he offered a soft smile that was returned.

"Kim Mingyu, Jeon Jungkook." Jihoon flipped a hand between them before he settled in the chair beside Yoongi that Jungkook had just been sitting in. "Don't kill each other. This is a public studio and getting blood out of carpet is a bitch."

Yoongi bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling and glanced over as Mingyu shuffled toward Jungkook. They didn't say a word to each other and Mingyu didn't even meet Jungkook's eyes as he carefully settled down at the other end of the small couch. But Jungkook was looking Mingyu over in curiosity. Well, it was better than being at each others throats. He'd never seen Mingyu so timid before except for that one time he managed to pull the wrong sting on Jihoon's nerves but even that was small compared to this.

"Remember the soft thing?" Jihoon mumbled to Yoongi as he tugged out his laptop, settling it on the empty space on the desk. He seemed to be relaxing now that the two wolves weren't trying to kill each other and a hint of a smile curled to his lips. "I wanted to keep with that for my mid-term but blend it with something a little harder."

Yoongi rolled his chair a little closer to Jihoon, nodding at the boys words as he watched him pull up the program he needed. Jihoon explained his plan for his mid-term assignment to Yoongi in softly spoken words as they got to work.

At some point, maybe ten or so minutes after they sat down, Yoongi cast a glance over his shoulder to check on the two wolves. He wasn't all that surprised to see the tension was all gone and Mingyu was grinning that grin Yoongi was used to seeing, fangs on full display. They were leaning toward one another, talking softly so not to disturb the other two in the room and whatever they were talking about, seemed to fascinate Jungkook.

For just a second, the black haired wolf glanced at him, catching his gaze and smiled, bunching up his cheeks and showing off his teeth before he returned his attention to Mingyu. Yoongi smiled softly in approval, his heart warm and tight in his chest, and returned his attention to Jihoon, who was glancing at him knowingly though he didn't say a word about it.

The two wolves would be fine, it seemed. They would all be fine. So, Yoongi got to work with Jihoon while Jungkook and Mingyu mumbled to each other about things only wolves would understand.

It was calm, comfortable, and warm.

And Yoongi didn't want to be anywhere else.

**Author's Note:**

> I figured since I went GOT7 with the last story, It was time to go with my other favorite group. Not to mention, have you seen Mansae Mingyu? That boy is 100% wolf, I don't care what anyone says. So I thought he and Jihoon fit pretty well into this story!
> 
> Something about Jungkook being this big bad wolf that'snot actually bad at all and just wants to be loved really strikes a cord in me. I really love this idea and I'm glad I finally managed to finish it and be proud of it. I know this story was a little far-fetched from the original Red Riding Hood, but I hope you picked up on the subtle similarities! Jungkook and Yoongi are just too cute sometimes, honestly. I'm so happy.
> 
> Please don't hesitate to let me know what you thought about this story with a kudo and/or comment. Things like that keep a writer like me going, you know! 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> [tumblr](http://the-orgasmic-cypher.tumblr.com) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/orgasmiccypher)
> 
> ~Addy~


End file.
